


M U T A N T S

by dreamyskull26



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Far Future, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Slow Burn, mentioned hendery&renjun, mentioned jeno&yeeun, mentioned mark&mina, multifandom - Freeform, norenmin | jaenoren, side luqi/luwoo, some chensung/chenji, some johnten too because i miss them a lot, some markhyuck, trying my best to make boys sensitive and girls badass okay fvck gender roles!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2020-06-28 01:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 53,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19801978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyskull26/pseuds/dreamyskull26
Summary: "Centuries ago, we were warned: if human beings continue mistreating the world like this, we'll regret everything"Now, adults have already realized that something is wrong with the new generation.Jeno wants revenge.Jaemin needs to escape.Renjun's going against the tide.·©dreamyskull26(I STARTED THIS FANFIC ON WATTPAD BUT I WANTED TO SHARE IT HERE TOO! just in case someone reads it there, I'm "grumpysoftie26" on wattpad so I'm the same girl!)





	1. Beginning

Run.

Running is the only solution he can think about right now. It hadn't rained in months and when drips started to fall ten minutes ago, he almost forgets that the only substance his body can pass through is the light.

It's midnight so there isn't a single public place still open where he can hide tonight, and he can't allow himself to catch a damn cold; an invisible boy shouldn't be out there sneezing every two seconds, should he? People in Seoul already know about "monsters", humans around the world already know about The Purge, and that's why he needs to be more than noiseless.

'Screw them! I'm not a monster! I don't look like one and I'm not even bad. They're who hunt living beings like me without any further explanation, they are the real monsters'. Jaemin's mind is running faster than his feet. He is running away from the rain. He is running away from people. He is running away from hunters. He is running away from his recent past. He is just running away from everything. He just wants to survive.

His overheated heart would have exploded for sure if he wasn't stopped under a leafy tree to breathe. To be under a tree during a storm isn't the brightest idea he has had but with the number of lightning rods around the city, dying electrocuted is not a thing he's worried about. Besides that, his eyes are looking everywhere for any kind of shelter. 'Where the heck am I?' It looks like one of those wealthy neighbourhoods that his family couldn't afford.

His family. He snorts quietly and bites his lower lip while he continues glancing every door and window in sight from where he is, trying to find the perfect moment to break into a warm and comfortable house to pass the night, even if he didn't sleep a wink for being afraid of being caught for some reason.

Jaemin's eyes go wide when he realizes that there's an open balcony on the last floor of the metallic building he's in front of. He doesn't think twice before climbing the entrance fence and go up for the emergency stairs, every step's taken in silence. When his calves are starting to hurt, he arrives at the 8th floor, comes close to the balcony and luckily the room is empty and dark. Even so, he listens carefully for someone nearby while he's peeking around the place.

Whoever who lives there is a teenager like him: holograms of music groups, school materials here and there and a stack of dirty clothes on the armchair. He doesn't get why that person likes to open their window during a storm but he's not complaining of course. Now, he's just seen what he was wishing for more than seven hours: a fridge. 'Fucking rich kids, they have a full apartment in their own bedroom' he thinks, drinking some almond milk directly from the bottle. 

He was about to grab some meat when the door's opened and someone turns on the lights. Jaemin freezes. With a steak in his hands, he turns to see a blonde and skinny guy with a frown in his face, obviously looking at the flying piece of meat and his open fridge. The blonde boy looks down to the wet steps coming from the outside, closes the door and he starts to walk forward to where he thinks there's someone. Jaemin slowly puts the steak inside again and closes the fridge without breaking the eye contact, although the blonde one is still trying to see something more than air. When they are centimetres apart from each other, close enough to feel Jaemin's hot breathe in his face, he looks up straight in the taller's eyes and simply whispers:

"What are you?" 

Jaemin's heartbeat and breath are chaos after these words. 

So this guy in front of him is not mad? He isn't screaming to call his family or neighbours. He hasn't tried to hit or punch him. He doesn't even look scared knowing that an invisible person is in his bedroom. He more looks... relieved?

Okay, that only means one thing: the balcony wasn't open by chance. This boy wanted somebody to come into his house; and with somebody, Jaemin already knows it's not about a lover or something like that but someone like him. A monster. A mutant. Oh god how stupid he was to believe in this stupid trap.

"Are you hungry?" Renjun has taken a step away from Jaemin, letting the immaterial boy his own space and time. He talks slowly and softy.

Jaemin doesn't want to speak with him, he doesn't trust humans. He barely can trust mutants! But the only thing on his mind now is the fact that the human being right there is looking at him on the eyes. They are keeping eye contact even when he's invisible.

"Are you hurt?" not only his words are sweet but his eyes too. Jaemin can feel the honey gaze as a way of silent interaction trying to tell him that everything's going to be ok, that he's not going to betray him. His eyes are strangely beautiful and Jaemin can't help himself but try to make some feedback with the short boy without revealing his identity yet; he could be weak with cute people but he isn't an idiot.

His hands go and hold the other's, taking them to his cheeks and falling his own hands down again. Renjun blushes when he feels that soft skin from someone young like him. He shakes his head and immediately remembers all the things his mother told him about "special people", a long time ago.

"Do you feel cold?" he whispers taking again a step forward the mutant. Jaemin nods with energy so Renjun can sense the movement and walks quickly to close his balcony and find a clean hoodie.

"I know it's not big enough for you because you're taller than me, but it's the warmer one! I used to wear it when my friends and I went skiing" he gives the piece of clothes to Jaemin and blushes again when he notices the wide shoulders, flat chest and tiny waist once that the hoodie is on the invisible body. "Oh so y-you're a boy?" He's blushing harder than before because if the clothes are visible on him, does that means that...

"I'm not naked" Jaemin laughs watching the boy's face but regrets it at the moment. He wanted to reveal nothing about him to this stranger and he just talks. Now he knows his voice! It doesn't matter how cute he looks, Jaemin well knows that all that shines is not gold and damn it, he doesn't even know his name. What's wrong with him, where's his discretion?

Renjun notices how tense is the boy behind the hoodie so he tries to make this situation less awkward slowly cupping the taller's cheeks again with his hands to let him communicate by shakes and nods instead. He knows how hard is for people like this mysterious boy to open up and the last thing he wants is to make him uncomfortable.

"Do you want more food?" Shake. "Are you tired?" Slight nod. Silence surrounds them for a few minutes. Actually, none of them wants to break it, they feel surprisingly calm in the middle of such an unusual way to know each other. 

"Are you... scared?"

·

"Fuck!!! I fucking hate the fucking rain!!!"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to swear?" Doyoung sighs, trying to calm his younger brother.

"Don't start again with your happy-lucky and positive vibes speech" Jeno scoffs, eye rolling.

"What do you think I am? A president? The only thing I want is to calm your ass down. It's only a storm, we've survived to thousands!"

Chenle clears his throat soundly to shush the two of them. "I think what Jeno hates is that there's no sun so our electricity down here depends on a cheap battery" Jisung, sitting next to him, agrees with a hum. 

"I know that, but we also know that storms in this city don't take more than three days", Doyoung turns to one of his little men, a smile crossing his mouth. "Come guys! A few days without working is not like the worst thing that could happen to us"

"We can't allow ourselves that break! Heachan can do his weather thing and-" Jeno starts to bluster again but is cut by Haechan.

"I can't be awake the next 48 hours because you want me to stop the rain around the shelter! I can help some hours but we're doing great lately and we haven't take a break in months..." he looks at Jeno with puppy eyes.

"Moreover, East and West won't have any electricity neither, we'll be okay after that, Jeno. It's only going to be two or three days!" Mark says entering the central room where the rest of his comrades are. Haechan looks at him and he smiles unconsciously.

"Aagh... Whatever you guys want" Jeno hiss.

"That's my baby" Doyoung mess his brother's hair before let him leave the room.

·

Renjun and Jaemin are now sitting in the floating bed, lights turned off, close enough to listen to each other whispering, trying to conversate with only 'yes' and 'no' questions, better said shakes and nods. Jaemin doesn't have the need to run from there, the blonde boy suddenly has become like a feeling of security, the only one in the past few months that has treated him without violence even if he know him for 1 hour ago. It's strange but he's thankful.

In this short period of time, Renjun has found out that the invisible boy hasn't got any siblings but he lost his family little by little, that the secret police and riots were something common in his neighbourhood so he had to escape from his home when the winter started almost four months ago. He feels how the taller is relaxing inside, the boy is feeling secure right there in his dark bedroom with the thunderous storm outside. He knows it, can feel it.

Renjun already knows that there're hundreds of mutants around the city... maybe thousands, but he's never known one of them in person.

Well...

"My name's Renjun", he decides to stop interview the poor boy 'cause he just realizes that he didn't introduce himself. "As you sure have already guessed, I know about people like you. I know you aren't dangerous. I... My..." Tears come up but words don't want to leave his mouth, that terrible words. Jaemin notices that something's not going well.

"I'm Jaemin", he puts a hand on Renjun's shoulder, talking for the second time this night but at the moment he wants to do it.

The blonde sniffs and tries to calm himself; not only the bad memories are on his mind but also that deep but silky voice in front of him. He looks down to his hanging feet. "My mom was like you".

"What?" Jaemin's heartbeat is running faster every second. "Was?"

"Yes, she was a mutant", silence. Patience isn't a thing that Jaemin was used to it but he's going to respect Renjun time as Renjun did with him before. "She was able to control people's dreams and she confessed to me during nap time when I was still a kid. She was always happy and suddenly she disappeared. My father didn't know it, my father still doesn't know shit."

Jaemin lips are partly open for the number of things he wants to say at the same time, his brain is a tornado of thoughts. "So you're a hybrid?"

The blonde looks up again to where he thinks is the other. "A who?"

"Hybrid: a descendant of a mutant and a human", Jaemin explains.

"Oh, mmh..." he's never thought about that even when he knows he isn't normal. "I think so, yeah"

"What can you do?" Jaemin moves a little bit far from him, dropping his hand from his shoulder and feeling a mix between sudden mistrust and increasing hope. This situation can only turn to a real trap or a help signal.

Renjun thinks about it for a moment. "I don't really know... Even when my mom told me that she wasn't a common human, I thought I was still a normal one. I realized it about a year before my mom's... incident, when I was with my friends", his cheeks go pink and a sad smile appears in his face. "I felt something inside me but it wasn't my own feelings, you know? We were just chatting on the shore and then I felt that one of them was in love, and when I look at him, he was looking at me... It's not an instinct, it's something real. I don't know how to explain it better. Then I started to have control in myself."

Jaemin doesn't know what to say neither. So this boy has a boyfriend? Or is he heartbroken? Why in hell is he thinking about Renjun possibly kissing another boy and what the heck is he doing looking at his lips. He coughs lightly sweeping away these weird thoughts. "So basically you can feel other's feelings."

"Exactly, I cannot read their minds nor control them but at least I can glimpse their intentions and their mood", Renjun say softly and gets up to go drinking some water next to his bed. He has felt Jaemin's jealousy even if it was only a brief moment, and he feels stupidly nervous now.

"Are we alone here?" the invisible boy abruptly says.

Renjun almost chokes in his water. "Y-yes, my father isn't often here during the week. Why?" My fucking gosh relax, he told himself.

"I need to pee", Jaemin says simply. Nerves stuck on his stomach, nervousness increasing as he thinks about Renjun feeling it too.

"M-my bathroom is the next door to the left, but the visitor's one is the third door to the right. Wherever you want", the blonde smiles politely and brush his hair trying to hide his blush with his bangs without success. Jaemin (well, the flying hoodie that Renjun can see) goes to the sliding doors.

Renjun leaves a long sigh of relief after he's finally alone. He doesn't know how they have shuffled from an intimate and mature conversation to an awkward teen talk. He doesn't even how Jaemin looks for fuck sakes, although some way he can guess that he's at least as attractive as his voice. He looks at the neon clock on his wall and realizes that's 1:58 AM... for sure the other boy is going to sleep here.

He slaps himself on both cheeks, strong enough to wake up for the dirty images in his mind. "You are ridiculous", he shout-whispers to himself. Nevermind, he does know that the mutant will come visible sooner or later. But for now, he takes off his jumper and continues drinking water to calm himself in a green t-shirt.

Jaemin walks through the dark corridor, only illuminated by a few neon lights on the ceiling. He has taken a look into Renjun's bathroom but it's so near the bedroom so he goes to the other one in the other extreme of the house. He's sneaking around that place; no cameras, no microphones, just a normal but luxurious house.

He enters the visitor's bathroom and the automatic lights welcome him. Sliding doors closing behind him, he finally becomes visible. "Agh..." There's always that electric shock going across his body every time he changes his status.

He quickly relieves his bladder and goes to check himself in the big mirror; his pink hair is still a little bit damp and the shorter's hoodie looks like a wide but cute cotton croptop on top of his black jumpsuit, made of a fabric similar to vinyl or neoprene; he doesn't know much about fashion but just needs narrow but comfortable clothing that allows him to move without hanging on things.

He cleans his hands and face, doing his hair for some reason, before heading for where Renjun should be waiting for him. Honestly, he still hasn't decided if he wants to reveal his face to the boy or not, mostly before the stupid situation they both created before. But when he's again into the bedroom, he discovers the blonde boy laying down face up on the bed, eyes closed and chest slowly going up and down. He's relieved 'cause he's now visible so Renjun hasn't seen him.

He silently lays next to Renjun, looking at his side profile. He closes his eyes and blushes slightly as he remembers the feeling of sleeping with someone... it looks like centuries ago when he went to Hyunmin's and spent all the night together, or the same with Yeri too. They both were very different but he loved them so much and they loved him too.

He misses his past life. He misses love. He misses himself. But at least he's finally not sleeping alone, although his skin isn't even touching nothing more than the sheets. Unluckily, he falls asleep without checking the dim light in his bracelet.

Renjun can't sleep more than a few snoozes so when Jaemin's soft snores are audible, he opens his eyes and turns his head to his side just to find out the most beautiful face he's ever seen before.

·

"Yeeun! Your little boyfriend is calling!" Mina shouts, holding his laugh.

"Wow he must be really little 'cause I've never seen him", the short hair girl crosses the round room and frowns when he sees the name on the screen. "Stupid! It's Jeno! What is he doing calling us in the middle of the night?"

"Pick up the call and you'll find it", Mina looks at her, rising a brown for more teasing.

"Okay but shut up and behave yourself", when they touch the screen to open the hologram, it's not Jeno's face but Mark's what appears in front of both girls.

"Oh! Looks like is yours and not mine", Yeeun teases back and Mina sticks her tongue out.

"Hey girls, sorry for calling you this late at night but I think we have a problem", Mark says with a worried expression in his face.

"What's wrong?" Yeeun and Mina say at the same time, serious now.

"There's one of us out there that don't show signs of life. His number is 0813"

The two girls look at each other in disbelief. "And you are calling us because..." Mina says.

"What? C'mon! Your database is stronger and more effectual than ours and West's, you already know it! Help me to know who is behind that code name."

"Okay crybaby, wait a millisecond", Yeeun says and goes again to the other extreme of the round room to start up the main computer.

Mina looks at how Mark is eating a raw carrot meanwhile, not really feeling the need to fill the silence there. But then the boy focuses his eyes on her again. "How many time do your battery have this time, Mina?" She rolls with his chair to the lit up chronometre on the door.

"83 hours", she tells him when she's back in front of the hologram.

Mark chuckles. "You girls always surprises us, your capacity of saving hours is amazing."

Mina smiles and is about to respond to him when Yeeun talks again. "Guys, I have him."

"Him?", the other two ask, staring at her.

"Na Jaemin."


	2. Doubts

The alarm is sounding, a beautiful but too high pitched melody that awakes the two boys in the room. Chenle is the first one to get up so he goes to the illuminated buttom on the wall next to the door and switches off that sound. The lights turn on little by little while he yawns and looks at his comrade who's still on the bed and hasn't moved an inch. Chenle sighs and gets closer.

"Jisung, hey buddy we need to wake up right now", he semiwhispers, moving the orange haired slightly by the shoulders.

The younger groans in annoyance and opens just one eye. "Do we really have to watch that shit again?"

Chenle chuckles. "You know it's our duty. And it's not shit! It's the Local News and even if we already know it's all fake, we need to be in the loop to know what they want people to know", he ruffles Jisung's hair and goes to the door again. "I'm going to take a shower and I want to see you in front of the TV at 8 o'clock, lazy baby!"

He's now alone, moves his sheets away and stretches his long body on the bed... without stop thinking about his dream, the same dream for the last few weeks: he and Chenle were kissing. Like a kiss on the mouth, lips moving, an adult kiss, not the normal peck on the cheek or top of the head that both of them give to each other simply to tease when they take the other's food and then run away like a child. The situation in his dreams is always different but they end it always like that.

He doesn't know why his brain imagines such stupid things lately! Obviously he likes Chenle, who doesn't? They work together, laugh together, eat together... sleep together. That's new, honestly, and it was just a few times when Jisung had nightmares after seeing his parents on the National Channel. His mother was voted as the new Seoul councillor and his father is a journalist; he didn't see them since the Tribe started two years ago so all the memories popped up and he had a harsh breakdown. He's not a fan of affection but the rebel boy who liked to be alone in his free time suddenly needed hugs and some kind of love. Chenle is his roommate and although he (with Haechan and Doyoung) has the tendency to tease the others with corny actions, sleep in the same bed embracing each other is a next level of confidence that neither of them has done before Jisung's first nightmare. And the shorter keep asking him every night if he needs company, which Jisung just shakes his head violently trying to hide his ridiculous blush.

He sighs and gets up making his way to the kitchen. This week they have the morning shift so the rest of the boys are still sleeping. Well, except Mark who is somewhere around the unit. He drinks some water thinking about how great must be not having the necessity to sleep in days, at least it would be great for him 'cause it means more nights without bad dreams.

He yawns with the bowl of yoghurt with cereals in his hands and makes his way to the room where's the TV and sits down on the sofa. He switches on the screen and there's a nature documentary. "Who in hell watch a fucking documentary at 8 in the morning", he murmurs with his mouth full.

"Actually it's 5 to 8" Chenle appears from behind with a bottle of juice, some cookies and his wet hair and sits next to Jisung. "Change to the News, grumpy baby."

"When do you'll stop calling me baby?" He looks at him with a frown.

"When you stop being one, of course!" Finally Chenle puts himself the channel on time.

They silently watch the politicians, police, journalists and short interviews. Luckily for every human out there in the city, nothing new. 8:45 am. Everything's fine. Just spent the day in the new mall with your family or go to the museum and be happy.

"Bullshit!" Jisung screams throwing his bowl on the floor. "Nothing is fine! We're here hidden from people like you, piece of-"

"Calm down" the blonde put his hands on the angry boy. "You perfectly know what they're doing, we see them from our computers everyday so calm down. In fact, we should start keeping an eye on their cameras and phones again."

The younger seethes and rolls his eyes. "I hate you but thanks for being you."

Chenle blinks incredulous and widens his eyes. "Wow you just said 'thanks' for the first time in your life, congrats big baby", he ruffles his hair and goes to where he thinks Mark is. Jisung leaves breakfast's things in the kitchen and follows his friend.

What neither of them expected was to find Mark, Jeno and Doyoung in the computer room, running from one screen to another.

"Hey what's up here?" Jisung asks, already knowing that something's not going well.

"Good morning, kids" Doyoung tries to smiles but fails due to how nervous he is.

"Someone is missing!" Jeno shouts, pointing to the holograms where the two can see some members of West and East.

"What!?" Chenle doesn't understand anything right now.

"I called the others some hours ago because a mutant is out there without showing signs of life and-" Marks starts to explain the situation but is cut off by Jeno.

"0813 is missing and he has his bracelet disconnected for some reason, we need your hackers' tricks guys" he holds Jisung's and Chenle's hands guiding them to their usual seats.

"For the last time Jeno, his real name is Na Jaemin! He's one of us" Lisa almost shouts in desperation.

The black haired turns to her. "And for the last time Lisa, I told you before that I don't care! Who the fuck is that irresponsible to disconnect his security bracalet? If that idiot is still alive, I'll be the cause of his death when we find him!"

"Maybe someone did it, not him." Chan says. Everyone looks at him in their screens. "He can be in trouble and meanwhile we're here shouting to each other!" His members behind him nods.

"Agh, okay but you should wake us up before!" Chenle looks at all the information the rest of the crew have at the moment.

"You two have worked so hard lately that we wanted you to sleep like a normal person for once, and at the beginning we thought this wouldn't be important but...it is" Marks says.

"His last connection was at 11:39 last night..." Jisung's browsing the few notes the others have written on their tablets. "It was when the rain started, maybe he could be asleep or something in a shelter?" simply says.

Jeno scoffs. "All of us know that we should and we must advise the Mutant Community everyday after midnight, this is the first time someone is doing something like that."

"He was at that wealthy neighbourhood, Gangnam" Chenle informs and everyone starts murmuring. "But it's passed more than eight hours, I don't know if it's a reliable place or if he continued moving around the city during the night."

"Could you guys hack his bracelet? We seriously need to take control of this situation, if only one of us is caught by the Police or the Government..." Mina asks, upset.

"We already lost one of us, never forget that" Hyunjin says harshly. The girl nods with a sad smile.

"We can try it but it'll be difficult to switch on that thing from here" Jisung answers slowly.

"Nothing's impossible with us here!" the blonde boy says happily, trying to cheer up the ambient there.

Everyone thanks the two young hackers, the only humans in all three Tribes, and starts talking about different things. At this point, Mark goes out to the surface of the unit; where Haechan is.

"Hey" the red haired turns to the voice and smiles at that pretty face he likes so much.

"Hi, Lee" he sits down next to the new arrival there.

"Chenle and Jisung are finally in front of the computers, we're going to find the missing boy, I can feel it."

"I hope so, I'm a little bit bored out here controlling the rain away for the three units" Haechan laughs.

"Sorry for using you like an umbrella but without sun these days we can't provide us with enough electricity to use our devices and keep the place dry and warm" The dark haired looks at the invisible bubble his friend creates to protect their home. "It's really cool."

"I know, don't worry" he says and bits his lips. He wants to say a lot of things but he doesn't know how. So they sit there with no more sounds that the rain in the middle of the forest.

·

Jaemin's eyes notice lights beyond his eyelids so he turns around and covers his face with his arms.

"Jaemin, it's almost lunchtime" he hears someone calling him softly. "Please wake up."

The pink haired turns himself face down, not wanting to wake up, but suddenly he feels a pair of hands touching his hair and so he opens his eyes to see Renjun's face.

"What time is it?" Jaemin says in a low voice.

"Almost 1 pm" the blonde one smiles at him and he subconsciously smiles back. "You've slept a lot!"

Jaemin sits up straight and is now face to face with the hybrid. "Yeah... sorry, but I've never slept in such a comfortable bed, and plus the more time I use my invisibility, the more tired I'll be after that."

Renjun's smiles go bigger. He doesn't know why but the mutant in front of him makes him feels good. "No problem. You're beautiful, by the way" he chuckles and feels embarrassment from the other guy.

"Oh, shit, I'd forgotten that you can see me now" he laughs slightly. "You're pretty too, eehm... your boyfriend's a lucky man." He wants to hit himself but at the same time he doesn't regret what he just said.

"What boyfriend?" Renjun's eyes widen when he remembers the awkward conversation they both had last night. "O-oh... it was years ago, now I'm alon- I mean, you know, single." Now, he's feeling something similar to Jaemin's happiness. He doesn't want this conversation to end the same as yesterday but his mouth simply speaks. "And you?"

The taller looks into his eyes, taking his time to answer. "Yeah, I'm single too."

Both boys are feeling strange things. Jaemin looks at Renjun lips and then again into his eyes, just like he does last night but now the blonde can see his, so they both blush, Renjun harder. The mutant has kissed a lot of people before in parties but he's never been in such an intimate situation with a stranger, only with his two partners before. He honestly misses the taste of someone lips on his but he doesn't know if it's maybe too soon for the shorter. They practically slept together, that's not an excuse to take advantage of the boy who's only being a good person but he'd like to thanks him with a kiss, that's all.

It is, actually, it is too soon but Renjun has felt some kind of wish in Jaemin, becoming really obvious the whole situation but he's never kissed anyone more than Hendery and he's doubting everything right now.

"I'm m-making pasta with some meat!" Renjun abruptly says when he sees the other one laying down and closing the gap between them.

Jaemin stops and smirks at the cute reaction and gets up. "Sure, can I help?"

Both boys are about to leave the bedroom when the balcony is opened by a gust of wind. They turn around and suddenly they're just shit scared when a black haired tall boy appears in front of them with a sullen face.

"Who of you is Jaemin?"


	3. Undercover

He still remembers opening the eyes with a little grunt, his headache being a bombing and his body shaking when he tried to sit up. He remembers those voices asking him things that he didn't even bother to answer. "Where the heck am I?" Jaemin murmurs, trying to get up from the floor. He's still in that dark... room? How much time has he wasted in there? It looks like a bunker, a fancy one but a closed room without windows nor nothing else.

"HELLO!?" He finally sits on his knees and screams looking at the black door with a grimace expression.

A couple of seconds, the door opens and the black haired boy that appeared in Renjun's bedroom is again in front of him. They keep eye contact trying to figure out the other's intentions. "What do you want?"

Jaemin's eyes are now wide open full of frustration. "Huh? I should be the one asking that! Why am I here, stupid weirdo? I didn't do anything, leave me alone!"

Jeno snorts. "You weren't alone in that house... it looks like you were busy enough to forget about your bracelet."

The pink haired looks at his wrist to discover that it isn't there anymore and a wave of anger takes him. "HEY! What's wrong with you, asshole? I don't even know any other mutant out there!" He gets up from the floor going straight to the other – but the boy suddenly disappears with an odd wind around them and is now behind him, grabbing Jaemin by the shoulders with strength.

"I suggest you not to touch my balls" his voice's deeper than before, making Jaemin's body to get goosebumps and gulp.

"What kind of mutant are you? Some teleportation guy?" he slowly turns his body to where the other boy is, trying to demonstrate that he doesn't want to mess with him.

The black haired smirks and again – this wind that vanishes him. "Nope" Jaemin turns to the sound of the voice and sees the boy on the other side of the room. "I have super speed, that's why you were dizzy before because you aren't used to that" Once again, he appears in front of Jaemin in barely one second. "And you?"

Jaemin frowns rolling his eyes. "I have no patience, and invisibility. So where's my bracelet?"

"My comrades are fixing it. In case you don't know, these things broke down when it passes more than 24 hours without any notification and the other night yours just sent an alarm because we couldn't get in touch with you, 0813."

"Oh..." Jaemin knows that he hasn't got any excuse, he totally forgot about that: every mutant gets a bracelet the moment they become nomads and the only rule is to notify every night that they're alive. He doesn't know that West Tribe invented that incognito system four years ago, but he knows there're like superior mutants or something that control the city and the country, hidden from their Government, away from the normal internet. "Okay, don't call me that, I'm not a fucking number."

"We already know your name, Na Jaemin" a new boy enters into the room, for sure some years older than him. "I'm Doyoung, this is my brother Jeno and you're in South Tribe" The guy smiles at him, way nicer than the super speed one. So he smiles back. Jeno looks at how different the new boy's face is when he's smiling.

"So I'm here 'cause... you guys were worried about me and now I'm somehow punished?" Jaemin says, getting a hiss from Jeno.

"You really are stupid, aren't you? Nobody was worried about you, we were upset that someone bad out there could have known about all of us after hunting you down" the black haired crosses his arms. "This is the first time in four years that somebody is that irresponsible."

Doyoung pats his shoulder to calm him, sights and looks at the pink haired again. "We already know you're one of us, but we need to ask you some questions to trust you" Jaemin nods, serious, for some reason unable of looking away from the gaze. "Why are you a nomad?"

"My parents almost begged me to escape from home, my neighbourhood was in the suburbs so police was a common thing there. As of today... I don't know where they are or even if they're alive or not. I know shit from my friends neither. Although I know the Government doesn't want to take charge of suspicious deads, but surely they have tricks everywhere to hide everything... I was running away since then, almost five months ago" his voice lower the tone.

Jeno continues simply looking at him up and down; if he was from a marginal neighbourhood what was he doing in a rich one some nights ago? Doyoung talks again. "Do you want revenge?"

"I want anything as long as it makes me escape from that awful memories, honestly. I want justice, I just want to understand why."

The two brothers glimpse at each other, Jeno already knowing what Doyoung is thinking and damn he doesn't like the idea. "Are you willing to join us?" With those worlds, Jeno goes out the room swearing incomprehensible things.

Jaemin blinks in confusion. "But you guys are... are a Tribe. You are like heroes out there for the other mutants, you know? C-can I really join you that easily? I mean, what?" His mouth is doing whatever it wants.

"Well, we are the Tribe with fewer members, we're only six, so one more it would be very useful. And besides, we can't let you out there again now that we have met you. You look like a clever boy, I'm sure you won't let us down."

Jaemin doubts for some minutes, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of living like an invisible homeless. There aren't so many good things. He wants to find answers, he's fed up with questions inside his head. He feels a sudden wave of confidence and nods with energy even when he's nervous as dead inside. "I won't let you down."

Doyoung grins, satisfied, and puts an arm around the new comrade's shoulders. "I'm going to introduce you the rest of the people here, well Jisung and Chenle are still trying to repair your bracelet but Mark and Haechan are somewhere in the unit. Talking about Haechan, he's going to be your roommate, he's a sweetheart, he's the most normal among we all. Ah, take a shower and eat something! Then I'll considerate which mission you'll do here, you need to work hard, kid" Jaemin is excited and nervous while they walk forward to another place. Everything seems perfect now. It looks like it.

·

Renjun's running to class, he's late again but you can't blame him: he has dreamed again about Jaemin. And his mother. And Hendery. And that strange boy that took Jaemin away from him. What the fuck was that? He blinked and suddenly they weren't in his bedroom anymore, they both disappeared like it was the easiest thing to do. It's been days and he doesn't know anything, it's like that hadn't been real. 

He has anxiety again, his worst enemy. Food barely makes its way inside his stomach, nerves have got him on an extreme level. His mind cannot concentrate in class. His energy seems to have left his body. He just wants to sleep and dreaming about the few beautiful people he knows.

It's drizzling but he couldn't care less, not now. He needs answers. He needs... to find people. He's exhausted because of everyone around him go away without further explanations. But his heart needs to find out about his mother, and he needs to find out about Jaemin. He doesn't care about his father and well he knows that his father doesn't care about him either.

And now, no one can't stop him.

·

"Renjun! RENJUN! Ya stop!" a tall guy with a black haircut shouts trying to grab his friend outside the college. The said boy stops his nervous feet and turns to look at Yukhei who is now next to him recovering for his race. "Okay I think I need to hit the gym again, ah..." Another three boys lean out some seconds after. Renjun sighs, knowing what's going to happen.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Yangyang asks, hands in his hoodie's pocket.

"You know that we're here for you always, right?" Jungwoo says softly, holding Yukhei's hand. Xiaojun nods, looking at his blonde friend that has them worried since a few days ago; they have seen this distant behaviour twice before, first because of his mother's disappearance, then because of Hendery moving to China again after almost five years being together as a couple.

Renjun makes a sad smile. "Guys please, don't worry... I'm just having nightmares again, I need time for myself." He waves his hand as a goodbye and turns to continue his way to home. He's lying. Well, it's true that he needs to be alone, but the only moment when he's almost happy is when he sleeps and dreams about his mother, about Hendery, about that mysterious Jaemin, about everything that fills his heart with the love he can't feel now, love that was gone years ago. He has lost motherly love as well as a romantic one, his first love. Obviously his mother is more important but that relationship became oxygen for him; his maternal grandma and grandpa died when he was a kid and his mother was an only child, so he only has his dad's family, those stupid rich people that don't care about anything more than themselves.

Police imposed a gag order on his mother's case after a year without clues. He was depressed, he really was. After that, he tried so hard to forget her that put his soul into his relationship, a healthy way to heal himself. Hendery and he were inseparable, luckily for his friends only being lovey-dovey in private. Everyone liked them, even Renjun's father felt for his "son in law" charisma. It's a pity his mother only knew his boyfriend the first year of their love when Renjun was only 14 and Hendery 15; they were so young that only pecks and cuddles were shared between the two. After the tragedy, a black hole of sadness captured Renjun and he stopped attending class, so his boyfriend went every single afternoon to teach him the new things he learnt in the morning at high school. Some days it was impossible for the blonde boy to focus and that's when Hendery became his emotional support, that's when the older started to go with the younger to talk with the police and visit the psychologist every saturday, when they started to exchange more than basic kisses. They both were hungry for love, Hendery was a natural giver and Renjun needed desperately affection.

He arrives at his building and he's taking the crystal elevator when he looks at the ring which was the last gift from his mother. Her words are still audible for him: 'Break it if you miss me'. She laughed and hugged his son. His mouth draws a little smile with the memories. How can he break such a beautiful thing? His mother is a crazy woman, he was. He was always the rebel one, that weird adult. A happy woman. His eyes now are tearing. God, he fucking misses her.

Suddenly, something clicks.

'Break it if you miss me'.

He runs into his home and shut himself in his bedroom. He jumps to his floating bed and takes his ring on the hand, his mind going quicker than ever. He can't open the jewel so he does what he didn't want to do: obey his mother advice and break it. The metal thing hits the floor with a violent sound and hundreds of pieces are now everywhere. Renjun goes down from his floating bed to grab a tiny paper that he opens out to read a phone number and a name that he's never seen before:

Johnny Suh.

·

"When will you start your first mission?" Haechan asks Jaemin. They're at the bathroom since they're roommates. The red haired is glad that now he can share a room with someone every night. Mark only needs to sleep once or twice a week so he's usually alone. Even so, there're not more beds so two of them will share a bed next time.

"Monday!" the pink haired answers illusioned, finishing to dry his body. It's strange how in a few days they both have got along that well, they feel each other as brothers and Haechan's really happy because he only has one sister, Chuu who's in East Tribe with the other girls.

"You're too excited, better relax or you'll mess it up" the tanner is applying lotion on his skin, only wearing black boxers.

"It's not difficult tho, Doyoung hyung told me that I simply have to enter the Central Building and take pictures to the room where security cameras aren't allowed" he says with confidence, dressing a wide shirt and a pair of yoga pants.

Haechan looks at him chuckling. "Jeno's going to be so pissed off, we were planning it for months but the rookie boy are going to achieve it in the first week!"

"Well I'm not a rookie in other subjects, little man" he gets close to his new friend and ruffles his wet hair. Haechan blushes hard and Jaemin already knows. "You're virgin, aren't you?"

"YA!" he hits Jaemin in the arms and the invisible boy guffaws. "Who do you think you are asking such a personal question? I thought you're a great guy..." he exits the bathroom going inside his bed, covering his body with the sheets.

"I'm a great guy and you're obvious!" Jaemin sits next to him and tickles him to make Haechan uncover himself. "Tell me, who do you like? You like someone, right? Who? Tell me!"

As expected, a red face appears behind the sheets, trying not to laugh. "N-No one! I'm busy enough in the Tribe to be even more worried about boys!" he hits Jaemin arm again making the boy stop tickling him.

Jaemin smirks at his cuteness. "Oh so that someone is a boy?"

Haechan slaps himself mentally and looks shy at Jaemin. "Maybe."

The pink haired claps like it's the most fantastic thing in the world. "I knew it! Who is he? Is he from here or from the West Tribe? That Bong Chen is hot, but I think it's not your type. Huh, I don't even know his name! Mmh let me think, okay?" he rubs his chin. "Jeno? Do you like Jeno? Yeah he's handsome but I think he hates me, I still haven't seen him smiling... so it's not him for sure, you're always smiling. C'mon, who is he?" he lais on top on him just to make him uncomfortable. That's what brothers do.

"It's Mark" he whispers, putting Jaemin away from him. This is the first time he's admitting that he has a crush.

"What? Wow, really?" Jaemin mouth's open in surprise.

"What's wrong?" he's nervous.

"I don't know, he looks so... experienced" he laughs, wanting to tease the other boy.

But at this, Haechan sighs and Jaemin realizes that the childish conversation turns into a serious one. "He had a girlfriend... well, they weren't a couple exactly but they kissed and you know... he did it with her."

Jaemin caresses the tanned cheeks. "Hey, I'm sorry... I didn't know it. When did that happen?"

The red haired shrugs slightly. "At the beginning of that Tribe thing, like three years ago when the three were consolidated. East and we were made in the first year but West was a little bit late. We all made a kind of party... She's Mina, you already know her."

The taller looks at him softly. "Well, she looks like a cool girl but they're not together anymore, right?"

Haechan puts his head on Jaemin's shoulder. "Obviously she's cool, Mark would never do it with someone dumb. At least I know she doesn't like him anymore, my sister told me."

Time to break the ice again. "You're not dumb, do you know what does it mean?"

And again, the shorter boy hits the other's arm and push him out of his bed. "Enough talk for today!"

Jaemin laughs. He's cute, he really is. That reminds him of Renjun. He was cute too, a different type of cute. He missed him, he's a good person. Monday's a great day to visit him, he has to go out so why not. He wants to see him.

The only problem here is Jeno and his stupid rules.

·

"See you tomorrow?"

Jungwoo and Yukhei are holding hands as always after his daily walk. Today they were taking a walk by the riverside and watched the sunset, it was a nice afternoon.

"Sure" Yukhei smiles at his boyfriend. Jungwoo leans in and kisses the taller slowly. Obviously, Yukhei kisses him back.

The blonde boy separates after a while. "Bye!" he pecks his lips one more time before takes the way to his home. The tall boy looks at the other getting away and quickly enters his house. He takes his mobile phone from his pocket and sends a short message.

And shorter is the time the girl spent in being there with him.

Yukhei just sits down on his bed when Yuqi appears in front of him. "Your delivery is here, sir" she says naughty, making the boy laugh lightly and tilts his head to the side.

"Don't say such dirty things" he grabs her by her waist, pulling his secret girlfriend on his lap.

"I'm just saying a standard sentence, the only dirty thing here is your mind" she smiles and places his hands on his secret boyfriend's nape.

"I missed you so much" he whispers in her lips. Their kiss started as an exchange of pecks but soon it turns into a deep one. Yuqi pulls him in slow motion to lay on his back on the bed. Their bed.

"I missed you too, honey" she murmurs, now both catching their breaths. Lucas looks at her: wavy hair with some bangs upon her forehead, her long eyelashes, sparkling eyes and pink lips. Everything in her is perfect. He doesn't know what has taken him but tears started to fall for his face. "Lucas! What is it? Are you okay?" she climbs down from him, but she's quickly pulled back into his arms, embracing her tightly.

"I'm just happy... I wish we could spend every night like that, eating curry and making love" he turns to the side so now the couple is laying on the bed, face to face, one hand on her waist and another one brushing her long hair.

"You're a big boy, don't cry for only being fucked twice a month" she chuckles, both hands on his cheeks and closing the space between their lips once again. He smiles through the kiss.

"Are you sure you can't ask that leader of yours again to change your night shift?"

"I've told you millions of times, Lucas, it was hard enough to convince her to let me do that twice a month instead of one like the rest of the girls. I can't distract myself more, I don't wan-"

"Yeah, yeah, you don't want to let them down" he says in a mocking tone and Yuqi raise a brown. "Awww my girl is so cute" he pinches her cheeks. 

"Oh, who's said that I'm yours? You already have a boyfriend, don't you?" she mocks back.

Yukhei snorts soundly and looks at her dead in the eye. "Don't start again... he's a good person and I'm single for everyone here so I couldn't reject him, you already know it."

"I know" she kisses his nose. "I just wanted to tease you, big boy. I wish we could live a normal life too. But this is not a fairy tale where you fall for a delicate princess. I'm a badass."

He grins and goes on top her. "Let me take care of you, badass."

She chuckles and starts to take off his jumper. "Bold of you to assume you're going to be on top of me."


	4. Mission

Monday, 5:08 AM. It's still dark outside.

Bussines Central Building, also called BCB, opens at 6 AM, so there they are preparing Jaemin and Jeno to the mission. Actually, the black haired is just going to accompany the pinky one close to the place thanks to his super speed, but the only person who can enter the edifice without being seen is the new one. Woojin and Bang Chan from the West invented time ago some kind of thin helmet to prevent anyone who Jeno carried to get dizzy after the abrupt velocity; obviously, Jeno's body is the only one made for that.

Still, Jeno doesn't trust him completely, it's been only a week and although the invisible boy has participated in every step of the plan and everyone in the three Tribes seems to like him, Jaemin is now the centre of attention. Jeno doesn't have reasons to hate him but he doesn't have confidence in the other either, at least not until he demonstrates that he can be trusted fully after this first mission.

Or even next.

Total confidence in someone isn't easy for him. It's the most difficult thing for Jeno, letting people inside his life or open up to people... that shit hurt, he doesn't have good experience in that. He's sweet with only his members, he's polite with the rest of the Tribes, and he clashes with everyone else. He has a strong character and he's very clever, but he has a trauma and he can't deny it.

Before knowing Doyoung's family when he was around 7, he lived with two old and rich twins ladies who were teachers of his parents. His mother and father were very young and they were first generation of mutants in both families, for sure their son was going to be born as a mutant; the Purge was still not official but it was already worldwide known that 'special people' were around 'normal humans'. His parents hacked his birth microchip so all his inheritance was deleted.

They could manage to be trapped by the Government but not his son, not him, the only fruit of his crazy love.

The old women were sweet and wise, they would raise his son in the best way possible, they could protect him.

But he was just an abandoned child who was born with no luck enough to live a decent childhood. When he was around 5, his two carers were blackmailed one night by a bunch of thieves who kidnapped his 'son' to get money without limit or they would kill the kid. One of the women died a half year after the kidnapping because of a heart attack with all the tension she and his sister had everyday, and her twin died months after because of depression.

So little Jeno? He was alone in this world. Lonely. And he was living a nightmare, far away for his happy life like every other kid.

Those evil people were one of the most dangerous families in Asia. They feed him, let him read books and listen to music, yeah, they even played with him. He was scared but learned to trust them little by little, but even so, he didn't understand anything.

Jeno was different, they knew it. He was special and they didn't like it. Or well, they liked it in a bad way, in the most terrible way. He was cute and brave. He was so cute for them to even resist. Younger or older, they all were adults, never forget that.

Every time Jeno asked for his 'mothers', he was beaten and immediately after he was pampered. That's how they made the kid trust them: making him believe that all was his fault. Always his.

But he was being punished more and more, men and women in the family started to abuse him, and not only with physical violence but sexually too. Twice were the times the kid tried to escape and twice was rapped. With only six. The first time a man, the second, a woman. They were merciless people, they weren't good anymore. They were monsters. They steal his innocence.

One night, the house was set on fire, possibly one of their enemies find their hideout. Everything and everyone around him was chaos and that's when little Jeno, broken inside but still willing to survive, started to run. He ran for his life and he discovered what he really was since forever: a mutant. He ran as quickly as he could so nobody notice him leaving the place. The few people on the street simply felt a sudden wind, nothing important.

Jeno was homeless for some time, running here and there, learning how to control his 'superpower' and how to hide from the world. Luckily, he and Doyoung met one day in a park, the little boy just wanted to play like the child he was, and the older boy immediately noticed him. Doyoung was 11 then but he already knew how to use his mind control so he could perfectly read the kid's thoughts.

He needed a home. A family. He needed love. And he found it thanks to the warm-hearted Doyoung and his numerous family.

"Jeno?"

The said boy blinks and looks at that voice calling him. It's Jaemin.

"Are you okay? We need to set off now" the pink haired sets one hand on the other shoulder. Jeno frowns and moves away from that sudden touch, motioning his hand for him to go out. Jaemin sighs and follows him, already wearing the helmet.

"You know, Jaemin, inform us as soon as you are inside the building! Don't forget your knife just in case! And Jeno, it's free to be nice with our new member, for fuck's sake!" Doyoung shouts. Jaemin laughs and puts his thumbs up in agreement. "Okay guys, now we just wait for them" he tells Chenle and Jisung in front of all the screens and already impatient for this short but intense mission.

In another room, the other two boys who are supposed to be resting wakes up at the sound of screamings. Haechan grunts and moves under the sheets. Mark half opens his eyes and smiles at how the younger's face looks so annoyed in the other bed. Today is the first day after five that he's sleeping, or at least trying to. Jaemin's outside so the two beds are free. Haechan moves again and faces his friend.

"What are you doing looking at me? You're creepy..." he mumbles before yawns soundly.

Mark chuckles. "You're cute when you're pissed off."

The red haired blushes slightly and covers his face. "If you like me that much come here, but let me sleep!"

Mark sits on his elbows. "Want to cuddle?"

"It sounds cornier in that way..." the younger glances at the older through the sheets. He's tired but now Mark is getting up and Haechan's heart goes faster unconsciously. Why is he that nervous? It's only... his crush. They're just friends and they will be only friends. He lets space for the other to lay next to him. It's been forever since they do that, this closeness, too busy to care.

Mark hugs the smaller body and pats his back. "Happy now?" he waits until Haechan is in a comfortable posture, with one leg embracing his hips and one arm around his waits, so the younger nods sleepy on Mark's shoulder. "Me too" Mark leans his cheek on Haechan's hair, closing his eyes again.

·

5:53 AM.

They are on the rooftop in front of the BCB, waiting 7 more minutes until doors open so Jeno can sneak Jaemin in. He has never been a quiet boy so he's not going to start now, right? Moreover, he's curious about the dark haired next to him.

"You're really strong" he says and Jeno turns his head, no understanding. "You're able to run a lot of kilometres with me on your back! I barely can carry a bag of potatoes" he laughs, trying to cheer up the mood between the two; they were holding hands because everything and everyone that Jaemin touches in the process of becoming invisible turn invisible too. Jaemin is just so used to touch people and to be touched, physical contact is normal for him. But not for Jeno.

Jeno rolls his eyes. "You're not me."

Jaemin raises his brows "Very humble. I'll say the same when I achieve this mission just before you did it."

Jeno looks again at the big doors just down them. "It's just practice... West are mostly the inventors to help us and they don't like to think before act. East are kind of pickers to feed all of us and seeking out for the news so they spend a lot of time outside their unit. And we... we're the planners and the spies, we think a lot and we spent too much time undercover."

Jaemin likes this little conversation they're having, this tough cookie is finally opening his mouth to talk more than two phrases. "It's so cool, I've never thought I'd take part in any of the Tribes, honestly. I still can't believe it, that's why I'm that calm I guess. It feels like a dream."

Jeno looks at the watch on his wrist and taps his back. "Don't romanticize our work. C'mon, it's time" he whispers. Jaemin sighs and climbs over the boy. "Remember, I'm going to leave you in some seconds and the others are going to guide you inside."

Before the invisible boy could respond, the same huge wind around them and he's now alone in that building. 'Wow' he thinks. surprised by the luxurious place; boring, but luxury. He walks carefully to avoid touching nobody and has a quick peek looking for the stairs, more secure than the elevator. He touches his wireless earphones to active it and let the boys guide him, realizing that Jeno took off his helmet. 'Quite a gentleman.'

"Jaemin, do you hear us? Over" he listens suddenly Doyoung's voice in a too high volume and so he taps the left widget in a language similar to Morse code. "Oh, sorry. Connect your camera and go up until the 14th floor. Over" the older commands in a more logical volume now.

Jaemin opens his eyes super wide and taps. "We already know that it's a lot, move that lazy ass of yours and fly up that stairs right now! Over and out" Jisung says. The invisible boy rolls his eyes and switches on the camera on his choker.

When he's on the 6th floor, Jaemin sits down in a step to recover his breath, trying not to be noisy. "You didn't need to run, we still have... 36 minutes. Those strange people always take the elevator to the 14th floor at quarter past 7" Doyoung informs. Jaemin taps and his leader laughs. "Of course you can go to pee, but watch out: there's a camera just in front of the entrance, we don't know how long is the bathroom but better go to the last one. Over" Jaemin gets up and walks through the hall, glimpsing all the people that are still talking about their weekend and opening their computers.

He goes until the last toilet and is about to take his jeans down but a scream in his ears stops his innocent action. "TURN OFF YOUR FUCKING CAMERA! I don't feel like seeing your dick, you gross." Jaemin chuckles and taps wanting to tease Jisung. "Ha ha, what a joke. Of course I also have one but I don't want to see yours!" So the pink haired does it just to pee relaxed, listening to the others talk.

"Haechan already saw it and he told me that it's not so impressive" Chenle says laughing.

"Why did he saw his dick?" Jisung asks astonished.

"They're roommates, foolish" the light blonde answers as if it's the most obvious thing.

"And? We're roommates too and we've never seen each other naked" Jisung scoffs but immediately regrets his words, blushing and looking away. Chenle blushes too, not knowing what to say.

Jaemin finishes and goes to the stairs, tapping with a smirk. 'Tell Haechan than his weenie is less impressive than mine. And you two should try.'

Jeno enters now and joins the three boys.

"Okay kids, end of the recess!" Doyoung says, holding his smile as he watches the two red faces next to him. Jaemin turns on his camera again and starts climbing up again. "We still have 21 minutes and eight more floors. We need to focus now, this is serious; nobody knows what's up there. No security cameras, no archives, no photos anywhere. We could be near something important and for sure, dangerous."

"Based on their payments, whatever they have there should be the whole floor, it's where more energy is consumed" Chenle says.

17 minutes left.

11 minutes left.

5 minutes left.

Jaemin's already in front of the dark metal door; actually, the only door in the building because the rest is a very open space. No cameras, no lights. The elevator opens and three people with face masks appear. 'Bad vibes, such a bad bad vibes...' he thinks. They open the door and the boy follows them.

Doyoung, Chenle, Jisung and Jeno gasp when the lights are switched on. Jaemin's eyes widen.

"It's a fucking lab..." he hears Jeno's voice. "Are they experimenting with... with what?"

The pink haired moves freely but with caution. The walls are covered by screens with symbols in a lot of idioms, and scientific things are all around the big room. Why the most important business building in the country has a lab inside?

"What were we doing last friday?" one of the three persons says, a man. Jaemin listens carefully. "She said something in some strange dialect, wake her up" a woman speaks now.

Who are they talking about? Jaemin walks away a little bit to search for more than only useless lab things. And damn it, he finds it.

"Oh god..." Doyoung murmurs.

He finds her.

A woman, not older than 50, inside a vertical bathtub floating with wires connected. She has her eyes closed but Jaemin can perfectly see how are moving behind her eyelids. Is she dreaming? is she drugged?

'Who are you?' he thinks, looking everywhere just to read a piece of cardboard on the wall. 'Mutant 209'.

"She's one of us!" Jeno shouts, furious. "They're experimenting with her and what the hell, 208 mutants before her!?"

The bad people keep talking about all the notes they have sought, but they barely have anything. Neither her name nor his speciality. Just random things that she says during the treatments and experiments. Jaemin looks again at the woman and he realizes that she has bruises all over her body. 'Fucking jerks. Did they make you suffer?'

'YES. THEY DID. AND THEY WILL DO THE SAME TO YOU.'

Jaemin turns around and takes off his knife, ready to attack. But nobody is behind him. 'What...?' He taps nervously to the others to inform them that he just heard a feminine voice inside his head. Broken screams.

"Oh no, we've lost him" Chenle says, not believing the boy. Jaemin ignores him and moves around the bathtub. 'Hello?' he thinks.

'RUN AWAY. SAVE MY SON.' Again. He's ugly shaking.

Is that... is that her? His heart's going fast. He looks at her and sees how her head nods slightly.

'Who's your son?'

Silence.

He keeps staring at her almost without a blink.

More and more silence. The others are getting impatience but wait for Jaemin to say something.

'HUANG RENJUN.'

No.

No way.

Jaemin feels as if his lungs were empty. 'Renjun?'

Suddenly, the woman opens his eyes and starts to yell for real and to hit and kick the crystal. The three people in the other extreme of the room run for her, away from the door. Jaemin understands and still in shook, goes quickly and exit that place.

"What are you doing!?" Jeno inquires, watching on their screen how the invisible boy's now descending the stairs like a bullet. But Jaemin doesn't answer, he just keeps running down and down to exit this fucking place. He waits breathless some minutes until someone goes out the main door so it opens and he can escape from there without suspicions.

He takes off his choker and film himself, in the verge of crying. "J-Jeno. Jeno! Is his mother."

The said boy looks at him through the screen, worried but clueless. "Mother of who, Jaemin?"

Jaemin tries to calm his tears and sits on the floor with his back leaning on the wall. "Remember that boy? He wasn't a normal human. Come here, we need to rescue him."


	5. Tribe

The alarm goes off again and is turned off by Mark's fingers clicking for the third time. Haechan finally opens his eyes and turn his body so now seeing his friend, 5 cm away from his face with his eyes still closed. They must wake up and help their comrades, but their bodies are glued with laziness to each other; they've slept together after months and that's the only thing is in the red haired's mind. He starts caressing Mark's arm which is around his waist, and his heart almost melts when the dark haired boy opens his eyelids slowly with a sincere smile on his lips.

"Do you want me to wake up or to make me sleep again?" he mumbles, moving a little away from Haechan's face.

"I thought about hitting your ass away from me but I reconsidered this option as a nicer one" he giggles slightly, still feeling lazy.

"I've never felt this useless before, my body can't move and I'm the Superstamina boy!" Mark turns his body to lay on his back, so his arms and legs leave the younger's body. But Haechan isn't ready to untangle them yet.

"That's because I'm the master of cuddles and your ego don't want to admit it" he lays down on the bed and places his forearms on his friend chest, hands playing with Mark's cheeks who let the tanned boy do whatever he wants; it's weird but he's in good humour just before wake up. The older looks adorable and Haechan laughs. "Sometimes I forget that you're an old guy. Look at your faaaace. 100% baby. No, no! 500% baby!"

He knows the boy under him hates being called 'baby' and these nonsenses, but he likes to tease him. Bad that Mark flips them over so Haechan is now laying on his back looking at his... 'very good looking crush' he thinks to himself and blushes. 'Friend. he's my friend. My comrade.'

Mark notices his obvious pink shade and chuckles. "What's wrong with you? C'mon and get up, the boys need us" he says getting up and takes off his shirt and pants, walking to the bathroom. Nothing that the red haired haven't seen before... but now everything feels different.

'Shit.' He sits on the bed and massages his head. He needs to talk with someone, and he knows who. He takes his mobile phone and texts his sister, specification that it's an emergency. He listens the shower on and waits impatiently with his heart pumping faster each minute.

Soon, Yuqi appears in front of him smiling and holds him without words. Seconds before, they're in Chuu's room. "I'm considering you to pay me everytime my teleportation is used as a taxi!" Yuqi says before exit and Chuu laughs, looking at his brother. It's not even 10 in the morning so the girl's still on her pajamas, just like him.

She looks at his facial expression, something between embarrassing and terrifying is inside his little head. "Tell me, your wise counselor is here" she lets space tapping the bed and Haechan lays next to her.

"You were right" he simply says, hugging her tightly trying to hide his face on her neck.

But she doesn't want him to act like a child so touches his chin to make him look at her eyes. "I'm normally always right but you mind telling me what do you mean?" she smiles trying to comfort his younger brother, and he smiles back. A sad one but a smile anyway.

"Mark..." he starts to whisper.

"Oh my god don't tell me that he likes y-" her emotion cuts off his brother's confession but he quickly covers her mouth with his hand.

"Let me talk first, stupid!" his face is the redder blush Chuu has ever seen and realizes this time is a serious topic, so she motions him to continue. "We slept together and... I've felt things."

She chuckles, forgetting to be serious again. "Did your little thing down there go hard?"

He gets up angry and hits her arm, without hurting her really. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING, ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME OR SHOULD I KILL YOU FIRST!?"

She grabs his hands and throws him to her side again. "Okay, okay, sorry" she pats his head and he gets comfy again, trying to stay calm. "Is my baby in love?"

Love? Haechan doesn't know. He likes Mark a little bit too much more than the rest of his friends, that's for sure, but love? "How do I know it's not only a crush?"

His sister is about to answer him but the door's opened by a curious girl that heard the boy's screams. "Oh so ten seconds ago you both were at each other's throats and now is cuddling session?" Mina laughs. He blushes again, of course not for her words but because of her.

A fantastic idea shows up in Chuu's brain; well, fantastic in her opinion. He motions her friend to close the door again and come with them. Mina frowns without understanding but sees that Haechan is red and teary and does it. 'Oh no' he thinks, knowing his sister better than anyone else. They both let her space in the bed and Chuu smiles. "This little man right here needs your advice."

"That's not true!" the red haired wants to disappear.

Mina doesn't know if to laugh or to be worried about it. "Haechan, let me help you!" Her mouth draws a sincere and beautiful smile. Haechan pouts, 'of course she's adorable.'

He lays completely on the bed and closes his eyes, sighing dramatically. "I like Mark. I like him... more than a friend. More than I've ever liked any other person." That's it. He finally says it out loud. The girls look at each other and wait in silence. "We've slept together and I've felt my heart, I've just simply felt it, you know? And then that motherfucker got up and starts undressing him in front of me but goes to the fucking bathroom. Obviously I've seen him like that millions of times but today I feel so ridiculous..." he lays down and hides his face on the pillow.

Mina rubs his head. "Hey, it's okay. Mark is... he's a good boy. You could talk with him" she hasn't thought about them for a long time; they were happy but they were ephemeral, nothing wrong but nothing more. Chuu rubs his back, making him feel like a puppy right now.

He moves his head to the side and looks at the red haired girl. "You really think he's going to like me back? Is he that good? I should forget about it, we're all too busy..."

Mina takes her time to answer. "You can't hide your feelings or you'll hurt yourself! He's dense, honestly, but at the moment he opens his eyes and his heart, you'll know he's full of love inside."

Haechan smiles and closes his eyes again. "Did you love him, did he love you?"

Chuu looks at her with 'be caution' eyes. Mina nods and continues stroking the boy's hair. "No. I mean, you know we... we had sex a few times and all but that wasn't love. We didn't suffer when we decided to stop, it was just for fun. You don't need to be in love with someone to do it."

Haechan moves again to lay on his back and look at both girls. "That's my problem... I can't just do it."

"Relax, relax! Don't you dare to think about being fucked if you haven't made out with anyone yet!" Chuu says but her friend hits her slightly.

"First of all you need to focus on your own feelings and everything will come to you in the most natural way. Mmh..." Mina lays down to face the boy. "Why don't you try to seduce him in a serious way? Don't act cute, you're really sexy!"

Obviously, Haechan's face is a tomato.

Now is the brunette the one who hits her friend. "Don't talk about my baby like that! I want him and Mark to end together but not in a sexual way!"

Mina rolls her eyes. "He's 20, Chuu! I'm just saying that he could try to be less childish if he wants to be with him because Mark only going to see him as his best friend in that way! He could try to act with him like he does when he's in a mission: mature and determinate."

Haechan laughs and holds hands with both girls. "I guess this is a new mission..."

"Be careful" his sister isn't sure now about her "fantastic" idea of telling Mina to give him some advice. She knows Mark is a good person, he really is, but she also knows the things he likes to do when he's turned on; Mina told her everything, and even if weren't bad things he can't imagine his little brother doing anything like that. But maybe and just maybe she's being a little too overprotective and she should let his not so little brother to grow up.

"Don't be shy but don't force anything. And most important: make him clear that you really like him and don't just want to hook up, I'm warning you he's dense" Mina ruffles his hair and gets up.

"If that crush of yours hurts your heart, I'll break his bones slowly one by one" Chuu hugs him and kisses his forehead cheeks and nose as soon as the other girl exists her bedroom.

Haechan kisses her cheeks back smiling, he feels better after venting. "Thank you, bodyguard!"

·

Impossible.

The dial tone was sounding for minutes until Renjun gets tired and throws his phone to his bed with frustration. He called the number his mother wrote inside his ring uncountable times for the last couple of days. Did that Johnny guy change his number since his mum wrote the note? He might be very busy... or maybe he just doesn't trust stranger's calls? Whatever the fuck it is, it's making him nervous, level of anxiety increasing inside his chest. 

He needs answers and he needs them now. He's tried to look this guy on the internet but it's impossible... it's like he had never existed. 'Gosh, mommy, what the hell do you want to tell me?'

Lonely. He likes to be alone or relaxed with just a few people, but these days he feels extremely lonely. He can't tell his friends the truth; it's not that he doesn't trust them but... the Purge is something serious and he's half mutant. He's never been afraid of his special "power" but now that he's met Jaemin and supposedly that friend or something of his mum, he feels worst. And he knows it's worst because he doesn't cry, he has no tears anymore. He feels kind of empty.

The blonde boy works out twice a day trying to forget about past and recent events; running, boxing, swimming, dancing, jumping. Anything physical that can distract his mind, anything that makes him tired outside and not only inside. Finals are still 2 months away so he attends classes, does some homework and goes out of his home hours and hours until dinner time when he talks with his friends via webcam or hologram, depending on Yangyang's parents.

But today's monday and his class were on a short trip, he obviously didn't feel like going anywhere with more than 30 people that half of them think he's a gay weirdo, even if he's friend of Lucas and Xiaojun who are pretty popular in his Dance college. Not like he blame anyone, he's gay and he's a weirdo, never has tried to change nor he won't change.

Listening to some loud music, he's in front of his closet deciding what to wear to go for a walk; today it's finally sunny and he's not going to lose it all at home, summer is close and his skin is paler than ever.

Nevertheless, a big noise comes from behind and he can't believe his eyes. Jaemin and that black haired boy are again in his room, his balcony now open. Their faces express uncertainty and hope at the same time, although he looks more at Jaemin's twinkling eyes.

"Renjun, we need to talk with you and this is not a safe place" Jaemin whispers, steps closer and closer. The next thing the blonde boy knows is someone putting a helmet on his head and then the quickest gust of wind around him.

·

He's still confused.

Days have passed and Renjun's eyes are still trying to get used to the light attacking his face every morning to wake him up. This guy, Doyoung, keep asking him things about his student life and family, about his likes and dislikes, they've talked every day for hours. It seems like Doyoung is the leader of a gang or something. And Jaemin is in it, with a few more boys. They're nice... Well, they call it tribe, but for him the only important thing is that he's basically trapped down there.

Days has passes and Renjun still don't know where he is, why is he there and with who exactly.

"Hey, good morning" he turns his body to the familiar soft voice and sees the pink haired squatting next to him. The blonde boy just looks into his eyes, feeling a new sensation inside Jaemin. A good one, finally: relief.

"What's wrong?" Renjun sits on his elbows and brushes his eyes.

"Doyoung told me that we've finished with all the questions" a little smile draws his mouth. "And he told me that he's sorry if you've felt uncomfortable or something, but we really needed all that information."

"Might I ask you why?" Renjun raises a brow.

"Sure! But it's better if you see it yourself" Jaemin grabs the tiny boy out of the bed and they go to the room where the computers and the other comrades are. Every screen is illuminated with a photo of Renjun's face or a lot of words and code. The blonde boy wants to scream in horror.

Before he could speak, Doyound does it first wanting to explain the whole situation to the new member of the Tribe. "Hi kid! I know, I already know you're going to say that we're crazy and all, but we're saving your ass from the bad people, okay?"

Jaemin quickly peeks the blonde's back. "He has a good one..." murmurs, loud enough for Renjun to listen it and blush.

Doyoung motions him to come closer and shows what the screens are about. "Thanks to our little hackers, we've contacted your father, college and friends as if you were accepted in an important academic exchange. Luckily you're a good student so nobody has doubt our fake words. We made up your life to keep you save, that's what we always do with new members!" the older guy smiles at him trying to be friendly. Chenle and Jisung, who are next to them, nod silently. Doyoung continues talking, more serious now. "You're now our new member, Renjun."

The said boy opens his eyes wide in surprise and looks unconsciously at Jaemin, and the pink haired shrugs and chuckles. "Don't look at me like that, I'm basically the new kid too, so welcome home."

Renjun's mind is dizzy. "Wait, wait, so you're telling me that from now on I'm going to be here forever?" He massages his temples and takes some steps back, tripping over another person. He looks and sees him. Jeno. Renjun blushes hard for some stupid reason, and that is that he finds the black haired boy intimidating since day 1... but not in a scared way.

"Not forever but yeah, at least until the fucking Purge ends" Jeno says looking down at him. "So you better be thankful" Renjun gulps at his words but he feels something quite different behind that rude appearance when he looks at the taller boy's eyes. A soft feeling, almost tired.

"Ya stop scaring our hybrid friend!" Jaemin comes closer and puts an arm around Renjun's shoulders. "He's a good person, we can trust him."

Jeno scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You barely know him."

The pink haired is done with Jeno's shit and he can't control what his mouth is saying. "I barely know you too and I already know he's better than you, jackass!"

The room is in a sepulchral silence, the tension in the air is almost physical. Jeno and Jaemin keep looking dead in each other eyes; this situation is Renjun's fault even when he didn't do anything wrong. "Guys-" Doyoung starts but is cut by his brother.

"So you think I'm not a good person" his gaze becomes darker than before.

Jaemin frowns, this situation going too much. "You still haven't demonstrated the opposite."

Jeno closes his eyes slowly and turns his back. "Fuck you" he simply says, leaving the room.

The silent is choking them now and Chenle sighs soundly, looking at Doyoung; this is not the first time they witness Jeno being like that and surely it's not going to be last.

Renjun's embarrassed and uncomfortable right now. "Sorry..." but Jaemin cuts his useless apologies.

"You did nothing wrong, don't worry. I'll talk with him later" he pets Renjun's head softly and slides his hand to the back of his neck, playing with his blonde mullet. "Hey" the smaller boy looks at him, "we need to tell you something" Jaemin looks at the other three boys in the room, and again to Renjun. "I need to tell you why you are here" and he grabs his hand guiding him to one armchair in front of a big screen, which is turned off.

"We're here to help you, but you can help us too" Jisung speaks for first time in the morning. Renjun doesn't understand a thing, now feeling the change from violent tension to a sad one.

Jaemin sits next to him without letting go his hand, Doyoung starts talking with a calm and grave tone. "We had a mission last week. Jaemin went to the Bussiness Building using his invisibility with a camera in his necklace and we... we discovered something that may concern you. Someone."

Chenle clicks the screen and light appears in front of them. Renjun unconsciously squeezes Jaemin's hand as tears fall from his eyes in realization.

He can't believe what's there. Who? It can't be. But it is.

Is she?

"Mum?" Renjun whispers and bends over, Jaemin and the others letting him his space and his time. She's skinnier and his hair is very long but is she. He wipes his tears. "My fucking gosh, she's alive" he continues watching the video and realizes that she's in a vertical tube bath and tied at his hands and feet. Then he watches the bad people Doyoung mention before and how the camera (Jaemin) runs out of that weird lab. He turns his face in a quick move to Jaemin. "What's happening!?"

"When I discovered her, she was sleeping... then she started to talk with me via mind, telepathically, and she named you. That humans are experimenting with her and who knows with how many more mutants..." Jaemin bends over too at the same height as the blonde and wipes more tears from his cheeks. "This is important, we finally know what are they doing with people like us. We finally can fight against them."

The hybrid looks at Jaemin's big eyes, feeling sincerity in the sweeter way possible. Doyoung places a hand on his back. "We count on you, right?"

Renjun stands up and looks at Doyoung's feline eyes, feeling security, something that he's eager. "No doubt" their leader smiles and hugs the new member of their Tribe, Chenle and Jisung hugging them too.

Jaemin smiles behind them, being proud of Renjun and going out of the room. Obviously, the hybrid senses that feeling, smiling into the group hug. "Let's call West and East! They need to know about this news" Doyoung says more than happy.

·

The pink haired goes to the gym room, knowing that the grumpy mutant should be there as he always do when he needs to think. He passes by Mark and Haechan's room (and by now his too, Renjun sleeping in Chenle and Jisung's room), door slightly open so he peeks in and sees the two boys studying sitting on Haechan's bed. The tanned boy is learning english thanks to the dark haired, who is bilingual. Jaemin melts as he sees Haechan's hand caressing Mark's back with his head on the paler's shoulder while Mark's reading some grammar exercises, leaning his head on the other's.

They're hella cute. If he were in the mood, he'd enter and break their intimate moment like the bratty he is, but he needs to talk with Jeno first; if they're going to be comrades for a long time, they should get along.

He stops in front of the sliding door and pays attention to the music, some soft hip hop that only means one thing: Jeno is not angry. 'Okay that's good' Jaemin thinks, at least he'll listen to him. The pink haired opens slowly and sees the black haired in the weight zone without t-shirt. 'Okay that's hot' Jaemin slaps himself mentally and closes the room with the sound of the door so Jeno stops his training and looks at him with a serious face, obviously more than annoyed to be in the same room with the other again. "I just want to talk, if you don't feel like answer me I get it but at least let me speak" Jaemin says, calm outside but a little nervous inside.

Jeno lays on the floor and closes his eyes, motioning him to start his monologue. "Okay so..." the pink haired rest his back on the wall, looking everywhere but at the other. "I think we should be better coworkers, you know? I know we're pretty different but if we're going to work together we should- no, we need to get along, to be cool with each other. I know sometimes I'm a bigmouth and super extroverted and that you prefer to be quiet and calm... but it doesn't mean that we can't be friends, right?" Finally, Jaemin looks at the black haired with an awkward smile to get another pissed off face in response.

Jeno gets up and sighs. "You don't get it, don't you?" He walks towards the other one who's looking at him confused. "This is not about being friends or not. This is about teamwork. This is about saving our fucking lives and possibly saving hundreds and thousands of lives out there. This is not a game, Jaemin, this is not a party of yours. This shit is serious." They're now like one metre away, without breaking the eye contact.

"I know this is not a party, Jeno" the invisible boy hisses, really hating the way the other talk with him as if he was idiot. "I just try to be positive to not break down." They keep the eye contact in silence until Jeno turns his back and goes to his weights again. "That's all?" Jaemin asks incredulous as the way they've just finished their conversation.

"What else do you want?" The pink haired thinks some seconds but Jeno speaks again. "Just let's work in peace, the real fight is out there" and he starts training again, already forgetting that Jaemin is there.

He stares a little to the muscular but slim body. Sighs and leaves the room, really regretting all the not so innocent thoughts he just has inside. "Stupid and sexy, what a combo..." he murmurs, going again to see the others.

·

At night, Lisa's drawing up their weekly plan when all of a sudden her phone rings. She watches the name on the screen and almost curses out loud. She thought she blocked him, it's been years... but she's never afraid to fight with exes so she picks up the call. "What the hell do you want, asshole?"

A low giggle can be heard on the other side of the phone. "Always a polite lady I see."

Lisa starts walking in the room, getting impatient. "I don't have time for you, Johnny."

"If it was true then you wouldn't answer me" Johnny puts his legs up on his desk.

"I already knew you're not that stupid to call me for nothing, so spit it out!"

The male takes his time and the girl makes control herself her superstrenght to not broke something waiting for the other to say something. "You're right, as always. I need to tell you something."

Lisa rolls her eyes. "I know where you live, if you don't answer me in less than three seconds, I'll kill you."

Johnny sits up straight and clears his throat gently. "Do you know Huang Renjun?"

And with that, Lisa gasps.


	6. I don't mistrust you

"Are you sure?" Jaemin asks them through the screen.

"Yeah, he needs to know everything we all already know" Bang Chan answers, confident about what they are just going to do; he and Hyunjin who sits next to bitting his nails nervously.

"Okay... but please be careful what you say, he's sensitive."

"He's strong. If he wasn't, he'd never join the Tribe after seeing his mother like that" the taller of the three talks a little annoyed knowing that the pink haired says it because his Tribe, West, is not good with feelings and they rather attack first. But not today.

Today they will talk about the past. About Hyunjin's past. About his brother, just as Renjun told them about his mother a few days ago.

"Girls are busy so Yuqi can't use her teleportation. Go and tell Jeno to bring Renjun here, please" the curly hair boy informs him and switches off his computer.

Jaemin sighs soundly and turns it off too.

·

"So... is this the place?" Renjun whispers breathless and dizzy climbing down of Jeno's back. The poor hybrid still doesn't get used to the superspeed thing; one second they are in the bedroom and next they're in front of a big door in the middle of the forest.

"West Tribe? yes I mean I can run you around the town if you want but I think you'll puke" Jeno chuckles and knock the door with a rhythm. Renjun looks at him, curious. "Every week we change it, it's like our password" he says. They both have barely talked to each other since the blonde is there, but he can see that Jeno is different. Well, he can feel it.

He's not like the others in the Tribe.

The door's opened suddenly by Felix. "Hi guys, Chan and Hyunjin are waiting for you in the assembly room" Jeno nods and starts to walk inside. Renjun smiles at Felix noticing that he has freckles, not noticing it when they talked through the screen, and he smiles back. The hybrid walks behind the black haired.

Soon both boys are sitting in front of Bang Chan and Hyunjin, door closed and dim light around them, an atmosphere that makes Renjun realizes this is serious. Very serious. Jeno knows what is this about and that's why he's with the blonde boy, he can't leave him alone, they're comrades now.

Renjun and Chan meet their eyes for some seconds until the older decides to talk. "Since you already know about your mother and have decided to join all of us, we want to... confess you something, something that happened just after the formation of this Tribe thing."

"We just want to warn you" Hyunjin says slowly, setting his elbows on the table.

Renjun frowns and crosses his arms. Jeno looks at him, a little bit upset but not too much. He knows how suffering feels and he sees is coming to the blonde.

"I'm all ears" Renjun says, not sure if he wants to hear what they have to tell him.

Chan looks at Hyunjin waiting for his consent to start him first, and the dark haired boy nods. "At the beginning everything was fine, some of us were friends before this but almost everyone started to know the rest when we all three Tribes were consolidated, you know like we made it official. Well, only official for us because people outside don't know about us, about it. Mutants in the city or the country that use the bracelets as a way to communicate with other mutants, like Jaemin, he didn't know about us until he was here. That's why we all use numbers instead of our real names on the internet, just in case. We all here worked hard together and little by little we were discovering all the cruelty behind the Purge and 'special people', and that the Government was behind every weird disappearance, spreading fake news about people like us just to scare citizens."

"Fear control people..." Jeno murmurs.

Hyunjin cleans his throat before talking. "West was made of 9 of us... we were 9" he looks dead in the eyes at Renjun who gulps, nervous. "It was around half of a year into the Tribe when me and my younger brother, Jeongin, went out to see the sunset, I was 17 and he fucking 15, it was just for fun..." his eyes are now teary but he sniffs and goes on. "It got dark and we should come back quickly here, but we preferred to see the stars, something that we did every night since we were kids. We just missed being kids... Something stupid. I was such a stupid asshole!" Tears finally falling down for his cheeks.

Bang Chan comes closer to his friend and hugs him; he knows how difficult it is for him to talk about this. "You weren't stupid, you aren't and you won't be" he says softly.

Jeno gets up as well and puts a supportive hand on his back. "Everything was an accident, you already know that."

Renjun doesn't know what to do because he's not understanding anything, he's afraid to screw up the situation even more honestly, so he waits patiently.

After some minutes, Hyunjin calms himself and speaks again, gaze on his fingers that play with his rings. "Agents patrol were in that zone and everything was too fast. They started to scream, we ran away but they point us with their guns so my basic instinct made me use my power: I threw them fireballs to defend ourselves. Jeongin's ability was breath under the water... only me could protect him at that moment, I needed to protect him so I kept running and throwing my fucking fire without realizing that he felt on the floor, he was so scared that he couldn't even call me" he looks up to Renjun again and the blonde nods telling him that he's listening. "They shot him. I suddenly heard his broken voice saying 'brother' and then their laughs... I killed some of them, it was the first and only time I've killed anyone, but they shot down to my legs so I ran into the brushwood to hide before they reach me... I can't throw fireballs in the forest because I can start a fire... I swear to the Universe that it was only a minute and when I came back to the same place and they were gone... it was a lot of blood on the floor but there wasn't my brother. Jeongin... they took Jeongin, I still don't fucking know if they killed him or just hurt him" he gets up and goes in front of Renjun who is now tearful too. "Now that we know about your mother's situation, we can investigate more and we can fight against them."

"We can fight and we can win" Chan says with a little smile, proud of his friend.

"We'll win" Jeno claims, sitting on the table.

Renjun looks at Chan and Jeno, feeling security. Then his eyes are again with Hyunjin, who is talking. "I'm just telling you this as a warning, that we need to be quick because it's strange they still keep her alive after five years... maybe Jeongin is too somewhere" the blonde feels sadness and hope at the same time looking at the taller boy in front of him.

"You need to be strong, we need to be strong, okay?" Chan tells him.

"Count on me" he smiles softly. Hyunjin and Chan smile back. Jeno just looks at them questioning the silence before their speech not knowing exactly what to say.

·

Renjun is sitting outside, up in the surface of West's unit, between all the nature of the forest, thinking about everything: his mother, Hyunjin, his brother Jeongin, about the Purge... he even thinks about Hendery again. He also thinks about his new Tribe too. About Jaemin, who is sweet and crazy, and Jeno, who is mysterious and quiet. Basically his mind is raving fast while his body is just tired.

Suddenly, he feels something behind him, turns his body and sees Jeno approaching who sits next to him. Renjun looks at his face trying to guess what kind of feeling he has inside but Jeno doesn't look into his eyes, turning on a cigarette and giving it a puff; it doesn't smell like tobacco so it could be some fruit flavour without nicotine. Renjun keeps staring at the black haired, noticing his sharp nose, his long eyelashes, his fine cheekbones, his... lips. 'He really is elegant like that, smoking some shit without saying hello' he thinks.

Jeno finally turns his head and hand the cigarette back to him. Renjun hesitates because it has been a lot of time since his last one but he ends giving a puff, tasting citric. "How are you?" the taller asks.

The blonde gives another puff, eyes glued to the other. "Been better but been worst."

Jeno snorts and takes the cigarette again. "That's the spirit."

They shared a silent moment until Renjun 'power' knows what feeling is Jeno's. "You don't... you don't pity me" he whispers, making the other look at him again.

"Why should I be?" he frowns, letting out some vapour of his mouth. Renjun blushes at this.

"Everyone since my mother accident... everyone has felt sad and sorry for me. But you understand me. You really do."

"Well" Jeno half-smiles, "I've suffered too, you know. You're not the only one who's sad" his eyes threat him to start crying so he looks at the horizon again, away from Renjun's gaze. Even when he thinks he has got over his past, he can't face it.

The hybrid places softly a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"For what?" Jeno, not being nice with sudden physical contact, feels good with him.

"I don't know, just for being you right now I guess. Give me that shit!" and he takes the cigarette from the black haired.

Jeno chuckles, sniffing to stop the urge to cry. "You are different from Jaemin."

Renjun's eyes open wide and almost choked. "Why do you compare us?"

The other simply shrugs. "You both came new at the same so it's inevitable."

"That's rude, Jeno! He's a good person, he's sweet and funny. He's just different from you, but I'm telling you that he has zero evil intentions inside, I can feel it and I never fail."

Jeno looks at his eyes for what seems like years and takes his cigarette again, looking away now. "Guess I can give him an opportunity."

"You trust me, right?"

The black haired puffs and gets up. "Well, I don't mistrust you. Come to the door when you're ready for the trip back home" he hands him the rest of the cigarette and goes down to the entrance.

Renjun smiles and puts it out on the floor.

·

Lisa massages his temples, thoughtful, waiting for the two brothers to arrive. Johnny watches her through the screen.

"Why are you this upset for?" he asks with his chin laying on his left hand and an amused expression.

She looks at him moving some bangs away from her eyes. "I'm glad you're having fun there alone in your nasty office, but this is kinda serious you know?"

"Who says I'm alone?" he teases her and Lisa almost punches the screen. "I'm just kidding, I know this is a confidential matter girl, where's your sense of humour?"

She puts a lock of hair behind her ears. "I know you enough to know that you're not just kidding."

Johnny chuckles. "I'm alone... physically, here, now."

Lisa frowns. "So you have someone."

"Maybe."

The two keep total silence, she thinking about their time together in the US and he thinking about his someone. When the surrounding environment starts being uncomfortable between them, he speaks again. "It's nothing official yet."

She looks away from his eyes. "As usual. I hope you don't break her heart too."

Johnny can feel the hard feelings behind her words and he don't know how to get away with no argument. "I will try this time, and it's not her."

Lisa turns his head to the screen. It isn't new that he's bisexual, but still. She should hate him, but she cannot... he's not a bad person, in fact he's one of the sweetest boys she has ever met, but... But. Always but. He didn't understand her when the Purge started but she doesn't regret anything neither, it's just that their end wasn't the best, possibly it was the worst end a couple could have had in their condition. "Cool."

"Cool" he affirms.

Finally, the door's opened. Jeno and Doyoung come in and sit in front of Lisa. The younger is the first one who realises that there's a stranger in the big screen next to her. "Who the fuck is that?" he looks at the girl dead in the eye followed by his brother, neither of them understanding it.

"That is your new friend" Johnny says, waving his hand.

Lisa rolls her eyes and sighs. "His name is Johnny Suh, he's... he's a detective."

"Why does he know about you?" Doyoung asks, tense.

"Why does he know about us?" Jeno hisses referring to the tribes.

When Lisa's going to talk again, the older of the four there starts explains everything before the tension explodes. "I know about Renjun and I know he's with you and not in some exchange. I personally knew his mother, I was her secretary for almost a year; well it was a fake job while I was doing detective things. I'd already met Lisa so I knew about what was the Purge about, she saw that I wasn't scared of mutants so... she confess to me what she really was and I confess to her what my job was about in reality. We started to search more and more information and she told me about her child, Renjun, that he's a mix between a mutant and a human and about her husband not knowing anything. Apparently, he doesn't even know that his own son is gay, he's such a stupid man!" at this, Jeno shivers without sense, or maybe yes.

"And what's your point exactly?" the younger obviously doesn't trust the man on the screen, but Doyoung places a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

Johnny cleans his throat. "She was very rebel and because of that she was in deep shit. When she disappeared, we weren't working together anymore but we talked everyday. I had warned her several times that the Government is doing dangerous things that not even I knew until Lisa told me the other day... those bastards! She gave me rules to take care of his son if something bad happened to her. For example, I made the family of Renjun's boyfriend during high school move to China again because the parents of him were basically enemies of mutants and I couldn't take the risk that they discovered something. Gosh... at least she's still alive, she's a good woman. That's why I want to help Renjun, help all of you" he sniffs softly.

Jeno and Doyoung look at each other, using Doyoung mind control to talk with telepathy. 'You don't like him, right?'

'This is weird, so suddenly so many info...' Jeno thinks.

'I have used my mind with him, he's saying the truth.'

'I don't know...'

'He's offering his help, Jeno.'

Jeno looks again at Johnny who's waiting for some answer. "Okay, we trust you."

Johnny smiles thankful, and Lisa does it too unconsciously.

·

Mark enters the kitchen looking unsettled and without a shirt. The four boys inside looks at him.

"What's wrong?" Jaemin asks, cooking some vegetables. Renjun is next to him and set his curious eyes on the dark haired.

"Shit, I don't find my hoodie!" he messes up his hair, really nervous.

"Dude you have a lot of hoodies" Chenle claims.

"Yeah but I only have one hoodie from my hometown, it's from my father! Where the heck is it?"

"Haechan was who made the laundry yesterday" Jisung says.

"And where's he?" Mark realises that his friend is not with them.

Renjun, Chenle and Jisung doubt if saying that but Jaemin talks quickly. "In our bathroom, go and see him! I'm sure he knows it."

And there you have Mark running to their bedroom where their bathroom is, too unfocused to get the double meaning in Jaemin's words. Renjun punches his arm softly. "You're evil."

"No, you're a just pervert" Jisung laughs.

"Haechan is always walking around basically in his underwear so it's not a big deal" Chenle murmurs.

"But it's not the same that catch him naked!" Renjun says.

"He's not going to be naked, he's taking a bath so he'll be underwater" Jaemin chuckles. "I think you guys still have a lot of prejudices with nudity, it's nothing bad, it's natural."

"Yeah whatever peace and love, but maybe he wants some privacy, don't you think so?" Jisung says.

"Not with him" Jaemin whispers and looks at the boys. "He likes Mark."

"No way, Mark is straight!" Jisung whispers-shouts.

"Who the fuck is straight nowadays?" Chenle snorts and turns his head to the younger, making both boys blush hard and continue cooking away.

Renjun smiles at the two being cute and then looks at Jaemin again. "That explains why I've felt things when I've been with the two, like soft feelings" the pink haired stares at him. "What?" the blonde doesn't get the other when he does that, just looking at him, even if he likes his gaze.

"I'm sure you're another softy" the taller smirks, grabbing some plates.

"You don't know that" Renjun raises a brow.

"Oh, we can solve that problem" he whispers and winks at him. Renjun punches his arm again and goes to the fridge trying to hide his smile. He's already used to Jaemin's personality and he likes it... him. Him? He doesn't like Jaemin, does he? It's too soon.

Now, Mark opens the bathroom's door without knocking. "HAECHAN, WHERE'S MY-" he stops screaming when he sees the vapour inside. He glimpses at the bath and sees the red haired laying there surrounded by water, looking at Mark with a confused expression. The dark haired doesn't know what to say next, he didn't think about his friend... like this. Even if it's not the first time they're together in the bathroom but never like that.

"Huh?" Haechan also have no idea what to do, he didn't expect his crush to appear screaming his name while he's just taking a bath to relax. He smiles seeing Mark flushed and remembers that little talk he had with his sister. He sits up straight and sets his arms on the edge, dripping water. "You're cute, wanna join?"

The older chokes in his own saliva and starts walking forward him. "Stop acting like a kid! The boys told me that you have my hoodie."

"Which one? That one?" he points at the hoodie on the dresser. Mark opens his eyes and nods. "I tried on it and seems like a dress in me so I thought you wouldn't mind if I borrow it..." he pouts.

Mark sighs. "I don't mind but you could ask first, I almost die you know, this is the only physical memory I have from my family" he ruffles the wet hair of the younger and sits.

"I know" his smile's wider now. Then closes his eyes and the two keep in a comfortable silence some minutes.

"I want to see you with it" Mark suddenly says out loud.

"W-what? But now?" he blushes; he needs to go out from the bath for fuck's sake!

"Yeah, hurry, I won't watch anything!" he turns his back and waits until a doubtful Haechan decides to dry himself and wear the stupid hoodie. He taps Mark's shoulder, making him turn to look at him. The piece of clothes is a little up their tanned knees and the sleeves are paws; he literally has heart eyes for the younger right now. "And you call me baby?" he chuckles while pinching his cheeks, and goes to the door again.

"That's all?" Haechan doesn't even know why that question.

"What more do you want? Just take care of my things" and Mark exists the room.

The younger looks at him in the big mirror, cleaning the steam with one of his paws. He really looks adorable in that big hoodie. He smells it and jumps, smiling. It smells like Mark.

·

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: hey there! just a friendly reminder that every ship in this fic it's just that, fiction
> 
> anyway, thanks if you're reading it❣️❤️💛💕💞💝💘💟♥️💓💗💖


	7. Nervous

Renjun's head hurts like hell, so much information in so little amount of time.

After talking with Hyunjin and Chan about their lost member Jeongin, he finally met Johnny yesterday. They were talking for hours until Johnny's partner wanted to enter their room because it was already midnight and he wanted to sleep, so he said goodbye to the blonde boy. He's a nice guy even in such an unusual way of meeting someone with as vital importance as him: through the screen and without the older knowing where Renjun is now, just safe. Johnny explained to him everything about his job, about his romance with Lisa because thanks to her he knows about the existence of mutants, about his confidential relationship with his mother and about Hendery and his toxic parents that had intense hate for the mutants and who publicly supported the Purge.

Every little detail is a bomb in Renjun's brain.

He still can't believe that his life has turned into this chaos... but well shit what kind of lie is that tho? His life has never been normal nor calm; when it wasn't their classmates ignoring him, it was his father angry with him for nothing. He's an only child so his mother was the only person in this world that understood him, she was the one who influenced him to love arts, but before her disappearance it was just Hendery the one who supported him in high school. Luckily when he was accepted in college, he made incredible friends; but still, then without Hendery who "suddenly" moved away (now he knows what actually happened), he has always felt misunderstood. He always felt lonely. And he's tired of suffering.

He couldn't sleep so he informed his two roommates that he was going to think outside and take some breath, obviously hidden between the bushes and trees not in sight, what Jisung and Chenle understood; obviously, they both are worried but they also know that he needs time for himself.

It's around 8 in the morning so the sun is already shinning in front of him, and Renjun is seated at the top of the unit with his pajamas and his feet hanging and swinging in the air. Suddenly, he feels something and turns his back to see Jaemin approaching him. Renjun's eyes follow the pink haired who's wearing pajamas too and takes a seat next to him, shoulders touching and feet hanging too.

Jaemin sees his confused face and smiles. "You look pretty nice for someone who didn't sleep in the entire night."

Renjun shyly smiles back, hugging his legs close to his chest and puts the chin on his knees. "My head doesn't look that nice inside, you know..."

Jaemin pats the back of Renjun's neck and looks at him fondly. "Overthinking or monsters?"

The blonde boy is amazed at how the mutant always gets his emotions, even if he still feels some pity. "My monsters are controlled, I think... I'm just trying to swallow all of the info."

"That's cool, I mean, it's a lot so it's normal you need time to think" Jaemin lets his mouth opened some seconds but closes it without saying more.

"But...?" Renjun asks with a tone in his voice that indicates the other that he can perfectly follow the sentence. Jaemin chuckles.

"But you don't need to swallow it alone. I know we barely know each other but we're comrades now, you can trust me if something upsets you, okay? Actually, you should trust everyone here" Jaemin says softly and Renjun can feel the sincerity in his words.

"Okay" he sits straight and keeps eye contact with the pink haired with a comfortable silence but after some seconds they both blush realizing how close their faces are so the blonde looks away and Jaemin cleans his throat.

Again, Renjun feels someone and this time when he turns to see the new arrival, it's Jeno. The invisible boy frowns and the hybrid almost chokes in his own saliva because for some stupid reason he's nervous being together with the two mutants; it's not a secret that they don't get along so it's not in his plans to be in the middle of a fight.

"I saw this guy climbing up here and I didn't want him to tell you something stupid" the black haired says with a cocky tone, sitting next to Renjun.

"Hey!" Jaemin protests, "I've just told him that he can trust his comrades if he's worried."

"Well then for once you're not as fool as I thought you were" he glances him sideways and looks at Renjun. "How are you?"

The tiny boy takes a moment to think the correct answer. "I feel a little impotence for not being able to do anything right now."

Jeno sighs. "You need to learn things sometimes requires more time than you like, but slow progress is important too" Renjun smiles hesitantly, trying to get the real meaning behind that phrase.

"What do you want? You're not here just because you suddenly care about Renjun, right?" Jaemin speaks wild.

Jeno stares at him with a boring expression. "You really can't shut your mouth more than one second" Jaemin rolls his eyes and the hybrid chuckles. "Yeah, I'm here for more than Renjun and it's because of Doyoung: he wants to modify the bedrooms" the other two exchange a curious look. The black haired lays down on his back and sighs again more dramatically. "He wants us to share the bedroom."

"Us?" Renjun asks, already understanding what he's saying.

"You, me and the other one."

"The other one has a name, thank you so much mister humble" Jaemin hisses and crosses his arms.

"Mister humble has a name too" he sits on his elbows, looking pissed off.

Renjun's facial expression is worth mentioning. "Did your brother really say that?"

Jeno raises his brows. "Do you really think I'd invent something like that?"

The pink haired laugh with sarcasm. "I hope you don't."

He ignores him and continues explaining. "This is not a hotel so there are only two beds in each bedroom and I'm not going to share my bed with anyone. That's all, you two move to my bedroom, the other boys will share beds and Doyoung will be alone because he's the oldest. Be ready tonight" he gets up and brushes his hair, walking back inside the unit.

Jaemin lays his head on Renjun's and waits until the black haired figure disappears. "He's frustrating!"

The blonde boy thinks some moment before perceiving that the taller is not nervous nor angry. "Guess we'll sleep together again" he murmurs. Surprisingly for himself, he's not nervous neither.

Jaemin looks up and smirks. "I think so."

Renjun gets up and yawns, trying not to show that he likes the other's smile. "Did you have breakfast?" the other shakes his head as a 'no' and stretches his arms so he helps him to get up as well. Obviously, that's the perfect excuse for Jaemin to hold hands already walking. And more obviously, that makes Renjun blushes hard. "I know how to walk, you know."

Jaemin turns his head and smiles at him. "I know, but that's cuter."

Renjun looks down at their hands intertwined and brushes his bangs with his free hand to hide his red cheeks unsuccessfully. He's not nervous, it's true, but if he doesn't like Jaemin why is he always so shy next to him? Jaemin may not have the power of reading people's emotions but he knows the effect he has in the shorter, and he'll try to take care of the gut feeling he has inside.

What they don't know is that Jeno's seen them holding hands when they entered the kitchen, and that not even Jeno himself understand what his heart did at that sight.

·

Jeno is nervous and he doesn't even know why.

He's in front of the central computer looking at the official news and comparing them to their research. Their: Jaemin, Renjun and him. They have spent all afternoon searching here and there, planning next move in their plan. But there's a tiny little problem that annoys him: the pink and blonde are basically glued to each other. They hold hands all the time, they eat together, they whisper and giggle at night in the bedroom. It's not like Jeno has never seen two boys flirting but for some reason the two new kids' behaviour gets on his nerves.

He doesn't feel included, but why is he thinking about being included? Be a part of what, exactly? He doesn't even know them.

"Wait, Jeno, can you zoom at that?" Renjun points something in the screen and then places the hand on the black haired shoulder. Jeno blinks a few times confused, but he does it, letting Renjun to read the article better. "This talks about the extension of working hours during spring." Jeno looks at him without understanding. Jaemin doesn't get it either. "Guys! More hours means more work, and that means..."

"I'm not really into riddles so say it already, blondie" Jeno scoffs. Jaemin chuckles; that boy might be rude most of the time but at least he's funny.

"Ugh, that means that the companies and business are going to need more people, staff, know what I say?"

The other two boys think some seconds and look at each other realising what the shorter is trying to explain. "Do you want us to join the companies?" Jaemin asks incredulously.

Renjun nods. "Bussines Central Building, we need to break into that place where my mum is."

"That's... that's a good idea" Jeno claims, surprised that he didn't think about it before.

"Really!?" both boys say, Renjun excited and Jaemin in disbelief.

"Yeah" Jeno shrugs.

"But spring is... next week. Will we have enough time to plan everything?" the pink haired asks.

"Obviously yes" the black haired rolls his eyes and leans his back in the chair.

"Great! I'm going to call Doyoung" the hybrid gets up while ruffling his hair and goes out of the room. Jeno's eyes become soft at the touch and Jaemin notice it.

"You like him more than me" he jokes, but Jeno's eyes turn aggressive again.

"I don't like any of you!"

The invisible boy chuckles and gets up too. "Whatever you say."

"Fuck you..." he murmurs as the other exits the room.

·

Lisa isn't stupid. She knows something is wrong in her Tribe.

And not something, someone.

It's 10 PM. She and the rest of the girls never set a specific room for each one so they rotate the bed and they change of roommates almost every night. Last night, Lisa slept with Yuqi and the older saw marks in the brunette's body when they were in the bathroom although the younger put on very quickly her pajamas and continued talking as if nothing happened. And no, those marks weren't for a fight because they haven't had violent missions for more than two months; moreover this kind of bruises are hidden under the clothes, chest, stomach and thighs, and not in her visible skin. Lisa obviously knows that are hickies but she doesn't have any idea who made them to her and that's a lot of lack of trust for the leader, thinking that the other is probably hiding something serious.

Yuqi has been always cheerful and hardworking, but lately she's been acting shady: just changing her schedule with her comrades to achieve going out at night to supposedly guard the surrounds of the Unit, she forgets to do her chores, and sometimes she even has muscle stiffness without apparent reason. Lisa can perfectly guess what's going on but she doesn't want to think that one of her favourite members would be such irresponsible to... to have an affair outside, right?

One of the rules of the Tribes is to forget about their past life and only focus on their missions against the Purge. She knows Yuqi had a boyfriend before but the younger said that she broke up with him. Lisa believed her, but now everything is more and more suspicious.

She styles a little bit her bangs and goes to another room, away from Yuqi who is getting ready to go out in thirty minutes. She knocks the door and enters without waiting for the girls to give her permission, and the girls are Yeeun, Mina and Chuu.

"Hey Lisa!" Mina says, happy as she always is. Yeeun smiles too, they both are playing some dance videogames, and Chuu is laying on the bed writing in her notebook.

The latest frowns at their leader's face. "Is something wrong?"

Lisa closes the door. "Babies I need your honesty now, okay? This may just be paranoia of mine but I have a bad gut feeling" the three friends look at each other with concern, turning off the screen and paying full attention to the older, who sighs. "Do you know if Yuqi sees someone outside?"

Mina gulps.

Chuu opens her eyes in surprise. "You mean... human?" Lisa nods.

Yeeun shakes her head in horror. "That's crazy! The only humans I accept are Chenle and Jisung!"

Chuu looks at her with a pout. "Well, that Johnny guy is useful too, and the new kid is half human! My brother says he's really nice."

Yeeun rolls her eyes. "Okay, but we all know them" now he looks at the leader. "I've never heard about anyone else, Lisa. Why do you ask?"

The older starts walking slowly around the bedroom. "I don't know, I just see her distracted lately..." She realises that the red haired is very quiet when she normally is not. "Mina? What's on your mind?"

Mina can't lie to Lisa, she really cannot, but she has a lump in her throat. "I-I mi-might know something but I swear I didn't expect it to be this bad..." she murmurs feeling guilty for hiding her friend's secret when she already knew that was a bad idea.

Yeeun sits next to Chuu is her bed, neither of them understanding. Lisa comes closer to her with intense eye contact. "What are you talking about?"

Mina sniffs trying not to be too dramatic crying of guilt even if the situation is dramatic enough. "When I was with Mark at the beginning of this, it was when she broke up with Yukhei and well, you remember how sad she was because she couldn't explain to him what really happened. When I stopped see Mark like a month or two before, she told me why I could be with a boy and she doesn't. I-I tried to tell her that it's not about the relationship itself but the origin of the person, we both were mutants and work together but she and her boyfriend were different, he was and is human and she must work here for the mutants and simply start her life from zero just as everyone of us... but she basically disregarded me."

Lisa rubs her face furiously, not wanting to believe it. "So you're telling me that she made up with him, that they have been together all this time and you haven't say shit about that?"

Mina looks at her leader and two friends rather disturbed with all of this, as if everything was her fault. "No, no! I just knew that they talked, I knew they chatted again but I had no idea about they seeing and meeting behind us, I mean I suspected it but everytime I ask her she avoid any answers..." she crosses her arms and takes a step away from them, leaning her back on the wall.

Chuu and Yeeun exchange an 'omg' glance, and silence fills the room.

"Should we say something?" the blonde asks.

"Yes, but not yet. I want to see how she continues acting" Lisa says immediately.

"Sorry..." Mina murmurs. Yeeun looks at her sad and angry at the same time. No secrets in the Tribe, they promised years ago. Chuu understands her, and she even understands Yuqi; she always understands everybody.

"This is the first and last secret in here, okay?" Lisa says dead serious but already knows it's not Mina's fault. The red haired nods. "The next second she goes outside, I'll investigate about that boy" and she exits the room.

Chuu gets up and hugs Mina. "I've fucked it up..."

Yeeun chuckles and lays down on the bed. "Well let's stop talking about fucked things!" The other two laughs and jump on top her, making her laugh too as if suddenly everything was fine.


	8. Get out

Today is the day. It's the first day of spring.

BCB (Bussines Central Building) is going to open its doors in barely 15 minutes and there're hundreds of people waiting outside. Among those men, women and all well dressed, going over and over their notes to speak properly in the job interview, there's a group of youngsters nervous for a very different thing: they're going to break into the top floor and basement, the only places where just the staff is allowed to enter.

Before the Renjun's mother accident, the top floor was the only location in the entire building without cameras; thanks to the last mission with Jaemin they already know there's a lab, a laboratory to experiment with mutants. But now, Chenle and Jisung have realized that the basement's cameras suddenly don't have any signal and that a lot of electricity is being used there. Something really suspicious because supposedly is just a warehouse with boxes and documents. They both are on their Tribe to guide the others.

Doyoung checks his watch and prepares himself for the mission: he'll control the bosses' and guards' minds to convinced them to let him and the rest of the group in. Actually, the group is divided into subunits. Johnny is with him too not only because he's the most talkative but also because he knows some people who work in there. Chan is there too, using his age control to look like a gentleman in his 50 and he carries a laptop full of the false but excellent curriculum; it's just show time to distract the job interviewers. Lisa is with them just in case they need to fight so she can beat anyone's ass with her superstrength in two seconds and escape quickly, and because she's the most intelligent one. Mina is the 5th member with them and she'll try her best with her camouflage, which normally works better at night and not in a building full of light, but with the number of people here and there today she hopes it's easier than it seems. They're going to go down to the mysterious basement.

In another part of the crowd, there's the other subunit waiting for the doors to be opened too, but nobody sees them: they're invisible. West boys invented time ago some energy-gloves for Mina's camouflage to be shared, so they have made more for Jaemin's invisibility. The pink haired, Jeno, Renjun, Chuu and Yeeun are ready to go up to the lab. Renjun more than anyone.

Mark and Haechan are together away from the others, wearing maintenance service's suits made for East girls and they'll try to sneak out between the offices. They'll distract people if something bad happens, something like their members being caught.

And obviously, they all wear wireless earphones and cameras in their chokers to be in touch.

6 AM o'clock. The big doors open and the guards let the people inside, everything in an orderly way. Doyoung takes a look back to his members and motion the head for them to follow him. Jaemin's group keep distance to not collide with anybody, Jeno already impatient because he's not used to walking so slow. Once inside, Yeeun uses her superelasticity to reach a keycard from one of the guards' pockets with her hand; because she's invisible, the card turns invisible too so people don't see a thing flying in the air and it's just a matter of time that the guard perceives his key has been stolen.

"Guys, do you listen to us?" they all suddenly hear Chenle's voice, so they tap their gadget meaning a yes. "Okay, this is how we're going to work: I'm going to guide Doyoung, Lisa and Mina straight to the basement, Chan and Johnny simply keep the assholes entertained."

'I'm good at that, I like superfluous situations' the taller taps and chuckles. 

Chan next to him rolls his eyes. 'Don't forget to be ready, they could need us' and Johnny nods quite serious now. Then, he looks at Lisa and both nod before dividing the group.

"Jeno?" Jisung calls him and the black haired taps his widget meaning that he's listening. "I'm going to guide you guys up to the lab, although Jaemin already knows the way today this place is full of people which means more security."

"Nobody can see us, what's the problem?" Jaemin whispers, they already walking to the stairs.

Jeno turns to look at him with an incredulous face. "We're going to open the lab off the clock so surely there will be some type of alarm, Jisung is going to supervise all the cameras while we are inside just in case the bad people come. I'm sure your little brain understand that" he says in a low voice.

Jaemin is about to answer but Yeeun taps, annoyed. 'Kids, would you mind to stop teasing each other and focus on the mission?' Renjun and Chuu chuckle. Jeno groans and goes the first in the group, in the lead. Jaemin blushes slightly and walks next to the blonde boy, who rubs his back trying to calm him down.

Now, Chan and Johnny are in the interview's room; Doyoung and the two girls are listening to Chenle's directions; the invisible group is going up silently still surprised because of all the noise so early in the morning with so many people in the building. And well, the two maintenance boys are listening to everything while they go here and there waiting for proper indications.

"If I had known that we were going to be treated like that, I'd never agreed to come!" Haechan hisses, looking at his reflection in one of the crystal doors, not liking the green overall he's wearing.

"Oh don't cry" Mark laughs next to him, looking at their reflections too. "We're doing the more relaxing part of the work, and green suits you. Come on" he slaps the younger's butt and starts walking, making the red haired's cheeks go red too.

"Where do you think you are going?" Haechan whispers a scream, looking nervously around him and realizing that everyone is busy enough to pay attention to some cleaning boys.

"I don't know. Let's investigate this place, we're wearing official clothes, nobody can tell us shit" the older smirks and the other just chuckles, but still unsure of their actions.

·

Jaemin is remembering the first time he was there, going up for the same stairs but this time with four more comrades. They take a look at the offices everytime they arrive at a new floor, not knowing if it's funny or if they feel cringe for all the stressed adults in there trying to smile politely.

Jisung gives them permission to go on, the coast is clear. 

Just one more floor, suddenly Jeno grabs Chuu's arm. "Use your magic."

And she does it, the brunette uses her energy control to stop every device around them: possible hidden microphones and alarms because they already know there are no cameras there. When they are in front of the lab's door, Yeeun gets the keycard out of her pocket and comes closer to open it, and luckily it does. She opens the door wide and they gasp louder, except Jaemin who's the only one of them that has seen that place before. The room has blue light and cold air, scientist things everywhere and a lot of boards filled with formulas and equations.

"Where is she?" Renjun asks.

"She was at the end of the room" Jaemin replies, taking the lead now and the rest follow him through the room, closing the door cautiously. Everything seems similar but there's something not clicking in the pink's mind. They keep taking short steps and moving slowly until Jeno can't be patient anymore and pass the group forward the place where Renjun's mother should be. "Hey, what the fuck!?" Jaemin complains.

"I want to see her today and at this rhythm I doubt that" he snorts and continues his way, this time followed by Renjun who nods at his words, and Jaemin runs after them. The two girls look at each other and roll her eyes. 

The three boys turn the corner and there it is. There it is the vertical bathtub. There it is empty.

The blonde's eyes widen in incredulity and horror. "W-what?" his voice is low and sad.

"Where is SHE!?" Jeno shouts at Jaemin and the latter gets scared, confused as well.

"I don't-I don't know! Why should I know it!?" Jaemin confronts the black haired.

"Guys!" Chuu hisses, she and Yeeun placing in between the two. "It's not time to fight! It is not Jaemin's fault but we need to find what the heck is happening."

The four look hesitating at Renjun who's trying to hold back his tears, he looks at them too. "We fucking need to find her" he rustles and moves to the boards. "T-This is information, right? But I don't understand it."

"Me neither" Jaemin and Jeno say in unison. The girls shake the head too.

Jisung, who has been quiet all this time on the other side, thinks out loud with a 'mmh' sound. "Could you guys situate in front of those things and focus your camera? I think I know what this shit is."

"So why don't you say it already?" Jeno inquires.

The younger sighs. "Because I need to be sure, but at first sight, it looks like organic chemistry and...coordinates." 

·

Doyoung, Lisa and Mina are close to the basement and nobody has asked them what are they doing in the work area instead of the guest area because everytime someone came closer, just a gaze by Doyoung is enough to use his mind control and make people don't worry about them there. The problem is that there's a camera in front of the stairs to go down, but Chenle is already taking charge of it: he simply spins it around from the Tribe and hope that the guard takes their time in seeing that one of the cameras it's not ok.

They look around with precaution before going down, surprised because of the darkness down there compared to the rest of the place. 'I don't like this' Lisa says tapping. Mina holds her hand, meaning she neither.

Minutes have passed and they're still going down. 'How deep is this?' Doyoung taps his widget furiously.

"I have no idea, I can't find any camera or map that indicates anything down there!" Chenle is feeling overwhelmed not knowing how to help his friends.

'Grab your hands, I'm going to camouflage us' Mina taps and get a curious look by the two. "Just in case" she whispers. So Doyoung and Lisa listen to her, next second being the same as the wall, not completely visible.

Some stairs more and they arrive at a metallic door. They try to hear anything behind but nothing is there. The boy and the younger look at Lisa, knowing that she's the only one who can open it. Mina moves her hand to the girl's shoulder and she tries to move the door handle but it's blocked, obviously, so she takes a breathe and uses her super strength to open it without noise.

Success. But the next room makes them open-mouthed: blue lights, machine sounds, tall ceiling, big computers, technology in every centimetre, similar to a lab but more... creepy. Creepy and enormous. They start walking around, amazed. Doyoung suddenly hears something different from the machines and frowns, squeezing the girl's hands and making them hide behind one of the big screens; even if there're just a few possibilities of anyone see them, it's better to spy the enemy first. A moment waiting and a man and a woman appear talking about something they're looking at in their tablets, both wearing black lab coat. Doyoung is trying to make them come closer so they could hear them properly but suddenly a voice is on his earphones.

"Guys" Chenle says, scaring the three. "Guys you need to get out of there."

'Why? We just break in' Mina taps with her free hand.

"Jisung and I are checking all the cameras and the same weirdos Jaemin saw the first time are talking with their tablets too, directing to the elevator. We can't listen to them well but they're talking about mutants, they are fucking talking about mutants, Doyoung! We're recording them to listen it better then but it doesn't look good. We've warned Jeno and the others already and they're stealing things and speeding away of that sick place, so move your asses out now!" Chenle shouts.

Doyoung is about to answer when the woman talks out loud. "Who left the door opened?"

"Fuck..." Lisa murmurs. And without thinking twice, she pulls the two and they start running up to the stairs.

The two adults yell at the strange movements they have seen going out through the door but don't know what are, and they pay attention to their coworkers on the tablet, who run to the elevator already knowing that something is not right.

"GO! NOW!" Jeno shouts, running down the stairs, and Chuu makes a wild gesticulation with her arms and stops all the elevator's energy, impossible for the bad people to use them and holding up the moment they could be caught.

They just arrive at the hall and they see that people wearing the lab coats screaming like crazy and calling the security, when Yuqi appears next to them one second, covering her face with a facemask, and grabs her comrades, as always ready to get them out of every dangerous place with her teleportation. Jeno puts his arms around Jaemin's and Renjun's waist and runs out with his superspeed.

Doyoung, Lisa and Mina are breathlessly now in the hall too after climbing up all the stairs, and first blink people notice stranger movements in the air (they camouflaged) and second blink Yuqi and Jeno appear to take them out of there, back to their Tribes.

They are now breathing with difficulty in their respective Tribes; this is probably one of the most improvised escape they've all ever done. The other girls offer the new arrivals water. Chenle and Jisung take care of the boys too.

Chan and Johnny talk by their widgets, saying they're out too after the false interview, having distracted all the time the bosses in the business. Chan is coming back on the underground and Johnny is going home.

Doyoung, Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun are more relaxed now, drinking some water to stay calm and cleaning the sweat to start acting with all the new information they have.

But suddenly, Jisung speaks. "Hey... where are Mark and Haechan?"


	9. Come back

·

·

·

"Hey... where are Mark and Haechan?"

·

·

·

It's been some hours since they are stuck in there, in the elevator. Mark and Haechan were listening to every single thing the others were saying so they ran quickly to get into the machine before the bad people arrived and could catch their friends up in the lab.

In their heads and due to the emergency situation it was a great idea, but they didn't think about Chuu stopping all the energy in the building just to stop the elevators, so Haechan and Mark are stuck in a tiny elevator, wearing fake maintenance service overalls and surrounded by dangerous people who hate mutants, without escape. And if you're asking about their bracelet to communicate with the others, it's off too; no electricity around them. Yeah, everything's fine, absolutely fine.

Luckily, the red haired is standing up in the middle of that place controlling the environment inside so the air is fresh and they can breathe in good conditions. Well, at least Haechan can do it but all of a sudden he listens to the older making deep and irregular breaths. He places the ambient light around them and turns his face to his comrade.

"Mark?" he sits next to him with an upset look.

"Sorry" the dark haired whispers, his eyes closed and one of the hands on his chest trying to calm his heartbeats. "Narrow places gets me anxiety..."

"Oh, I didn't know it" Haechan gets away from him some centimetres to let Mark more space for himself but he's pulled again next to him and he opens his eyes in surprise; the older is never like that. "Mark, what's wrong?"

He breathes deeply again for almost a minute and turns slowly his head to stares at the younger. "This reminds me of the trip I had from Canada until I achieved being in Korea, I... I never told you how I got here" Haechan stares back with confused eyes, a couple of inches between both faces, just waiting. "I came here illegally."

The tanner's mind has exploded. "What?" He feels useless not knowing correct words to say now.

Mark hugs his legs and takes a breath. "My family was against the mutants, you know that" his friend nods. "Well, my parents never understood why I didn't hate mutants. The thing is in my preteen years, I already knew I wasn't... normal. I could study for days, working out for hours and play videogames without getting tired, I wasn't like the rest of my friends who needed sleep everyday, that's why I was popular because I were in all the parties from the beginning to the end. So I searched about us, about 'monsters' as tv said in America... I investigated a lot but I didn't feel like a monster, I wasn't a bad boy or anything, for fuck's sake I was a nerd with good grades and a lot of parties! After some years I fight with my family so hard that they... well, they kicked me out."

Haechan is trying to connect this new information with the little things he already knows about Mark's past. "So you flew up to here hidden?"

The paler draws a sad smile. "You're clever. I spent weeks hidden in the warehouse of planes and ships. I read that here in Asia the mutants were doing more movements against the Government so I was trying to come to Korea because well, my ancestors are from here so I simply thought fuck America" he says that with english accent, making Haechan chuckles.

"I still remember the day we met" he whispers, shy for some reason; well, the only reason is Mark sitting there next to him, shoulders touching. "I was with my sister in that orphanage, it was sunset... you were really cute even if you were super grubby and stink."

The older laughs. "I was? So I'm not cute anymore?"

Fuck, Haechan thinks, his cheeks going pink. "I-it's not that, but you're not a kid anymore" Mark raises a brow, fooling with the younger to say what he wants to hear. "Ya! You're handsome or don't you ever look at yourself in the mirror!?" the red haired cross his arms and pouts, he doesn't like being that nervous, he feels stupid.

Now, Mark laughs louder paying attention at his friend's face and noticing something. "You're wearing makeup."

Haechan has gold eyeliner, gold highlight illuminating his tan cheekbones and some nude colour on his lips. Nothing scandalous, just accentuating his features. "Yeah, I like doing my makeup when we go out to a mission just in case I die, I'll die pretty" he sighs.

"You're going to be the prettiest deadman ever, then" Mark chuckles and that puts the childish shyness away from Haechan.

"I'll do your makeup too if we survive" and he faces his comrade. Friend. Crush.

"Okay, drama king" they smile at each other softly, just looking at the other faces in silence until Haechan realizes how close they are, not feeling nervous now, remembering the words Mina and Chuu told him about being confident.

Mark sees how the other's eyes stop at his mouth, and how the younger's plump lips parted as if he wanted to say something that never happened. He feels his heart beating at a faster rate when a crazy thought crosses his mind: Haechan has kissable lips. But why the heck is he thinking about it, now, both trapped in an elevator, not knowing if they're going to be safe or not? It is crazy, it is crazy! Haechan notices the change in the older's breathing and smirks, realizing he's more confident that the dark haired, at least for now.

Real tension between the two and he's about to get closer when a loud sound interrupts their moment. The machine starts moving and in seconds the door's opened. They see with big eyes how the hall outside is still dark, without electricity, and don't dare to get out until they hear a familiar voice.

"Are you going to move or should we leave you some more minutes alone, lovebirds?" Jaemin's voice says.

"Hey it's not fair you use your invisible shit to bully me!" Haechan gets up looking around to try guess where Jaemin is. He fails.

Renjun chuckles. "C'mon, we need to escape from this sick place" he grabs with each of his hands both boys and all of them start walking, the three invisible boys and the two visible maintenance boys.

"Bang Chan is guiding us for all the corridors and places where cameras are off" Jeno's voice says in a low tone. "Even if you two are wearing those suits, we better don't bump into any crazy fool here."

"And the rest?" Mark asks.

"Jisung, Chenle and Doyoung are in our Tribe with the information we took in the lab" Jeno answers.

"They seriously are running like crazy, trying to connect again all the electricity in the building, never thought they're such assholes" Jaemin chuckles.

"Well, there're guards in every exit so you guys should look... I don't know, professional maintenance workers so those Hulks don't think suspiciousness" Renjun whispers, already in the main hall with lights, people working and talking too loud, and cameras recording.

Jeno puts behind Mark to guide him for the chaotic place and Jaemin takes Haechan as well. The two visible boys breathe deeply, closer and closer to the big entrance door. They gulp when one of those giants stares at them with a grim face.

Suddenly, guards' mobile phones ring and both move, talking. Haechan glimpses Mark and the latter motions to continue walking. Once outside and some minutes away from the building, the five boys sigh heavily. It's not lunch time yet so they sit in a lonely park.

"You're welcome" Bang Chan says cockily, Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun being the only who listen to him.

"What did you do!?" the black haired asks, sitting on the grass and stretching his calves.

"We've hacked their mobiles and I used my adult voice as I was their shitty boss, I told them that one of the elevators is opened and if they don't fix it in thirty minutes they'll be fired" he laughs. "They have 10 in muscles but 0 in brain."

The blonde and pink laughs too, Jeno just rolls his eyes and chuckles. The visible boys are oblivious to the others' conversation, so Mark touches Haechan with the elbow and points with his other hand to a pizzeria, and the red haired speaks without thinking, looking at where the voices of his friends come. "Hey guys, can we buy some food before going home?"

The three look at him without getting why he says it. "We have food at home" Jeno says.

Mark rolls his eyes, expecting that answer. "Yeah but we always eat so healthy in the Unit... it's cool to eat shit sometimes, you know, to immunize our body. We have time."

Renjun and Jaemin try to hold their laugh watching the pissed off Jeno's face after listening to that lame excuse and red haired pouting next to the older. Jeno sighs dramatically. "Okay but eat it quickly, we need to get back" and they see Haechan jumping up and grabbing Mark's hand to run towards the pizza.

Jaemin looks at them dreamily. "They really look cute together."

"Yeah" Renjun smiles.

Jeno looks at them frowning. "What do you mean together?"

Jaemin snorts. "Are you blind? The like each other."

Renjun nods. "It's pretty obvious!"

Jeno raises a brow in disbelieve. "But they are comrades."

"So? That doesn't mean they can't suck d-" Jaemin starts talking but Renjun shuts his mouth with a hand.

"If you feel something inside, it's good to express that feeling better than hide it" the blonde says softly looking at a confused Jeno.

"You don't need that! You already read other people feelings" the black haired says.

"Yeah but what I want you to understand is that feelings are not a bad thing, they can consume you if you never let them go" Renjun looks deeply at Jeno and he feels his doubt.

Jaemin leans his head on the hybrid's shoulder and glues his eyes to the speedy boy. "Have you ever felt in love?"

Jeno's eyes go big and look away from the pink's stare. "Never" Renjun feels sadness. Why sadness? He taps Jaemin's arm and shakes his head trying to tell him that it's better to stop talking about this, at least for now.

But obviously, Jaemin doesn't care, even if it's Renjun. "Do you think you would fall for someone?"

Jeno turns his head again with a very annoyed face and eyes almost teary. "I don't know."

It was at this moment when they hear a serious voice in their earphones.

"Guys."

Doyoung's voice. They listen carefully, not realizing the other two are finally back after some minutes with their greasy slice of pizza.

"Hellooo?" Haechan calls them with his mouth full of cheese because he doesn't hear his friends anywhere. Then, Mark and he feel hands pulling them to walk again.

"We need to come back now" Jeno hisses.

Renjun and Jaemin look at each other, worried for Doyoung's words. And worried about their future.


	10. No jealousy

One month.

Seoul.

And then, the world.

That's all they decoded from the things they found out on the lab. The bad people are preparing something powerful in a month. Less than five weeks. Just 31 days. Something that starts there in their city and will be expanded everywhere.

Mark (as almost every night) is doing his night shift but tonight Doyoung is with him, both reading, writing down and searching for more information like crazy. Some of the West and East's members are helping too.

Haechan is sleeping alone in his bed but with a lot of dreams and nightmares in his head. Chenle is softly snoring around a blushing Jisung, asleep as well; they have one bed for each other but after all the tension of the last few days they decided to sleep together, seems logical to them, a natural action.

In other room, Jaemin's sleeping like a deadman after so many hours using his invisibility, and Renjun is dozing next to him. He can't sleep well because his brain is thinking about million things at the same time. He opens his eyes slowly and sees the beautiful face of the pink boy, but when he turns his body to look at the other bed in the bedroom Jeno isn't there. He sits up and leaves silently barefoot, first he goes to the kitchen but nobody is there, so he grabs a bottle of water and walks to the gym, feeling a lot of energy came from that place, a mix between wrath and weariness. Renjun opens the sliding door and just as he thought, Jeno is there. The black haired is listening to loud music with his earphones and boxing so he doesn't realize that another person has entered the room. He's training almost in the dark and the hybrid don't know how to get closer to him without being hurt so he simply switches on the lights. That makes the mutant look at him violently but quickly getting calmer when he sees it's just Renjun, so on he takes the earphones off.

"Hey" the blonde says with a lopsided smile.

Jeno follows him with the eyes, sweat falling from his face, a little bit nervous. "What's wrong?"

They are now standing a couple of metres away from each other. "Couldn't sleep" Renjun whispers.

Jeno takes his boxing gloves off and sits down on a yoga mat, patting the free space at his side for Renjun, so he sits next to him. "Me neither."

The blonde drinks some water and offers the bottle to Jeno, who drinks too. "Why are you upset?" Renjun leans on his head on his knees, hugging his legs.

"Can't you guess my emotions?" the mutant snorts and dries the sweat of his face and neck with a towel.

The blonde chuckles. "Yeah, I empathize with people's feelings but I'd be very happy if you get once and for all that I cannot read minds."

Jeno smiles briefly. "True, sorry. I just... I don't know how to express my feelings with words."

"That's why you were punching the bag? To express yourself?" Renjun says funny, referring to the heavy bag.

"Better punching a bag than one of y'all" Jeno snorts, making the blonde's eyes open wide, so he rubs Renjun's back to calm him down. "Just kidding. I was- I AM angry because of all this situation. Those assholes are planning some big shit and we can't attack them directly, most of the citizens out there think mutants are evils... what I really want to punch and hit and kick is their stupid faces" he sighs and lies down his back on the mat, looking at the ceiling.

Renjun stares at his features, realizing that Jeno isn't that intimidating but he's indeed very handsome, wearing black sport clothes instead of his pyjamas . The taller's eyes move to look at him again and the blonde blushes slightly, clearing his throat before speaking. "This is the first time I am in a gang like that, and I barely have friends back in high school, you know I really appreciate that you guys have trusted me and include me in your Tribe" he lies down too and faces the other. "I told Jaemin so I want to say it to you too: I will do my best, not only for my mum but for all of you and the rest of the mutants in the world."

Jeno looks at his sparkling eyes. "You still didn't even fight, do you think you will survive when everything explodes?"

The shorter takes his time to answer. "I hope so. I'll seek justice for people like Jeongin and my mum, that's my mindset."

Jeno takes his time to answer too, not because he's thinking about anything but because he caught himself lost in Renjun's features, finding his face really sweet surrounded by blonde bangs. The hybrid feels how the other is peaceful inside now, very different at how annoyed he was some minutes ago, and his cheeks' colour changes to a darker rose when he remembers that they're lying down together alone in that room.

The thing is that he has felt a similar feeling the first time he was alone with Jaemin too. It's different from what he felt with Hendery when he was just a stupid and sad teen.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Jeno whispers, breaking the thoughts of the blonde. Renjun nods with a curious expression. Jeno hesitates a few seconds. "The other day you said that Haechan and Mark like each other... and you named Jaemin before... I mean you both seem pretty cool together so... I mean, you know what I'm trying to say?"

Renjun chuckles at how flustered Jeno is. "Yeah, I think so. But I don't know, Jeno. It's still too soon to know if I like him or not..."

Jeno sits on his elbows with a surprised face. "What the heck, I know! You like him and he likes you. It's more obvious than the other two."

The blonde's cheeks are on fire now. "W-what!?"

The black haired sighs, feeling himself and the situation really awkward, but he wants to know. "I know you both like each other, I just- I just wanted to know if... if something happens?"

Renjun jumps on his knees. "I can't believe you're asking me this shit at 4 in the morning!"

Jeno sits up straight and hides his blushing face with the hands. "Agh, me neither, forget it."

The hybrid fans himself and looks away, wanting to die of embarrassment. But he relaxes when he feels the shyness of Jeno; in all the weeks he's been in the Tribe, he's never felt that emotion in the mutant so he finds it more than cute. He turns his face and sees the other stretching his legs on the floor still head down and one hand on his face trying to cover up how red he is. "I've only had one boyfriend in my entire life, Hendery, the guy Johnny said his parents are dangerous for us" he murmus, making Jeno look up at him. "I immerse myself in that relationship after my mother's disappearance... and I hurt my own heart isolating myself when we broke up. I hold hands and sleep with Jaemin, yeah but I don't know if, you know... if my hearts is ready or not."

Jeno doesn't know what to say. "Sorry."

Renjun frowns. "For what?"

The black haired shrugs. "Because of my question... I just notice how close you both are in such a short time and how difficult is for me to create that kind of connection with anyone" the blonde places one hand on Jeno's back.

"You said the other day that you have never felt in love, right?" Renjun asks slowly, not wanting to hurt Jeno's feelings.

The mutant breathes deeply. "I had a difficult childhood, a hard one. I was..." he can't say it, not because he doesn't want to but simply because the though reality of I was raped twice doesn't make the way to his mouth. "I didn't meet my parents, can you imagine... and now I don't have time for romance."

Renjun feels something else behind his words. "Haven't you ever kiss anyone?"

Jeno snorts. "Well, Yeeun and I kissed a few times but she knows I don't like her in that way, I mean she just wanted to make me feel good, she is... she is a good person, but I'm not comfortable with her anyway."

Renjun smiles and stands up, helping Jeno to get up as well. "C'mon, we better rest tonight and be fresh tomorrow" he says, still smiling. Jeno washes his face before returning to their bedroom. They enter and Jaemin is the same deadman as some minutes ago, snoring softly.

Renjun is about to go next to the pink but a hand pulls him. His eyes meet Jeno's. "Can you..." the black haired is not the master of words but the shorter boy understand him. Both boys lays down on Jeno's bed, facing each other as they did in the yoga mat before. "Goodnight" he whispers with eyes closed. Renjun nods with a tiny smile and a blush on his cheeks, putting the blanket and liking how he just has achieved some intimacy with the unbreakable Jeno.

After some time, Jaemin turns slowly to his side and opens a little bit his eyes when he doesn't feel another body next to him. He rubs his face to see better what he can't believe he's watching: his two roommates are sleeping peacefully in the same bed, Renjun's arms hugging Jeno's waits.

He doesn't get what is happening but honestly, they're adorable. He doesn't feel jealousy, he just smiles wide and goes back to sleep again, waiting for the alarm to sound and start a new day, a new mission.

·


	11. I am ok because of you

The boys in the South Tribe just have finished eating. It's almost 6 pm because they were in front of their computers all morning and part of the afternoon looking for more and more information, trying to decode all the symbols and numbers the have. The same thing that they've been doing for the few past days. They only know the coordinates and the dates, but none in the three tribes know what the bad people are hiding; well this and that there's another subterranean lab, bigger and surely more dangerous.

Sunset will be in less than two hours. Jeno has the night shift and he should take a nap to be fresh tonight, but he isn't tired, or rather he can't sleep. He's nervous all the time and he doesn't even know why, he has always been a rebel and he barely fears nothing, so it's not the mission what is turning his stomach and head. So what it is?

What?

Or who?

Jeno climbs up to the surface, feeling the wind on his skin. He sits under the shadow of one of the big trees that hide the Unit, their home. He's covering wounds and scars on his hands, not even being well healed but simply using bandages because it hurts before days hitting the boxing bag, dry blood on his knuckles and around his nails. The excuse is that he's training for incoming fights but the reality is that he needs to vent; Jeno still hasn't learned how to let go his deeper emotions through another solution, for example talking like a normal person. He glimpses the horizon, seeing plenty of black clouds which means that in a couple of days another big storm will arrive at the city.

"Hey buddy" suddenly a voice says behind the black haired. Jeno looks and it's Jaemin, so he frowns. "Wow what a nice welcome..." the pink boy chuckles and sits next to him, with a canvas bag.

"What do you want?" Jeno asks; he was very calm alone.

"I saw you grabbing the bandaids so I was worried" Jaemin stares innocently at the other. But Jeno's frown is still on his face.

"Yeah, sure, and it is not because you're a gossip, right?" Jeno snorts, looking away from the honey eyes. The way Jaemin's eyes lay on him always make things inside him, he's never seen someone looking at anyone like that, with bright eyes focusing in every movement.

"Oh lord, you really have a bad impression of me" his mouth draws a half smile and puts the canvas bag in front of the grumpy boy who quickly peeks inside and gasps in surprise: the pinky has brought ointments. Medicine. All for Jeno.

The black haired stares at him in disbelieve. "It's not that bad" but obviously, Jaemin doesn't listen to him. He opens one bottle of balm and holds the nearest Jeno's hand, the left one. Jeno slightly shivers at the touch, noticing how warm Jaemin is. "Eh it's ok..." he tries to let go but obviously again, his comrade does what he wants: takes the bandaids off and starts cleaning the wounds properly.

"I can't believe you expected to heal this horror just with some sticky bandages! You could get infections and die, and you can't do that, we need you" Jaemin softly says as he was scolding a kid. Normally, Jeno doesn't like people treating at him like that but something in the pink haired's touch and voice calms him... and at the same time spins his head with more nervousness.

"Need?" he asks, unsure about what Jaemin actually means.

Jaemin stops moving and looks at Jeno with big eyes. "Aren't we a group? Everyone it's important here, and you even more because you're the leader!"

"My brother is the real leader, he's the older!" Jeno complains.

The pink haired laugh quietly. "Yeah, but you're bossier."

Jeno smirks, knowing it's true, and focus on Jaemin's movements for the first time. He's gentle, he cleans every open wound and dry scar as if the older was the most delicate person in this universe. The older stares as the pink's features and notices how long his eyelashes are. They share a moment of comfortable silence until Jaemin finishes bandage both Jeno's hands and start massaging his forearms, going up.

"What do you think you're doing?" the black haired reacts away of that new touch.

"Eeh I'm going to give you a massage?" Jaemin raises a brow, for him the most obvious thing to do right now.

"I see, but why?" he moves a little aside.

The invisible boy sighs, his patience reaching the limit. "Because you're tense and hurt, just let me!" and with that, he sits behind Jeno and places his hands on his shoulders, continuing massaging his muscles.

"I didn't ask for it" Jeno whispers, secretly liking what the other is doing because it's been literally years since he has a proper massage and he's accumulated too much tension. Not like nobody wants to do it, but it's the mutant himself who isn't used to physical contact with people. This is good now. He feels good.

As good as when he's with Renjun.

Jaemin smiles when he notices under his touch that the other is calmer now. "I'm glad you finally trust me."

"Mmh?" Jeno hums, not opening his eyes. He's too relaxed to care.

"Am I a good comrade or do you still see me as a party boy?" Jaemin is serious now, remembering the little fight they had weeks ago, and wanting to hear an honest answer.

Jeno thinks for some seconds. "You are better than I thought, I admit it" he whispers. Jaemin's cheeks light up, liking those words in that voice. "You're still a pain in the ass, tho" he chuckles and the pink boy frowns behind him.

Jaemin squeezes Jeno's back as revenge. The other yells, turning to look at him, who is smirking. "I wouldn't be a pain in your ugly ass if you treated me properly!"

Jeno touches his own shoulders to calm the pain. "I won't kill you after this, that's treating you properly. And plus, my ass is not ugly!"

The younger rolls his eyes. "I've never seen it."

"And you won't!" he yells again, standing up.

"You sure?" Jaemin murmurs, feeling cocky.

"What!?"

"Can you please stop screaming and come here? I wanted to tell you something more than just take care of your hands" he pats the space next to him.

Jeno sighs and sits again, looking annoyed at the other. "Aren't you going to call my hands ugly too?"

Jaemin tries to hide his smile, finding really funny this conversation. "No, I never lie."

"Oh god, you're so cheesy... tell me whatever you want, c'mon" the black haired lies down on the floor, eyes on the cloudy sky.

The invisible boy bites his lips. "I saw you both the other night."

Jeno looks at him without understanding. "Who?"

Jaemin scratches his nape, slightly nervous. "You and Renjun" he sees how the other's eyes open wide in surprise. "You two were cute. Renjun knows how to cuddle, right?" he smiles.

Jeno sits up straight and blushes. "You were asleep!"

The pink boy shrugs. "Yeah, that's exactly why I woke up."

But Jeno isn't in the humour to joke about it. "He likes you, don't worry. He's just a good person."

Jaemin tilts his head. "I can be a good person too" the older looks again at him without understanding, so Jaemin smiles one more time. "Let me cuddle you."

Jeno snorts and blinks quickly. "In your fucking dreams."

The pinky crosses his arms. "I know it, you like him more than me!" he grumbles.

"YOU TOO and you don't see me complaining like a stupid... child..." the black haired starts the sentence yelling but his voice lowers when realizes he hasn't denied that he likes Renjun.

And Jaemin realizes that too. But he doesn't feel jealousy, just like that night when he saw the two sleeping together. Again he feels good that Renjun is happy with someone else even if it's not always with him, and that someone is Jeno. But... you normally don't like seeing the person you like cuddling another that you... don't. He doesn't like Jeno. No way.

Does he?

Jeno clears his throat, awkward. "Thanks for helping me" and he lifts his two arms to show how well he can move his hands with the bandages. "Never thought someone could be stupid and a good person at the same time, but here you are" Jeno smiles bright, looking at Jaemin and making him blushes.

But you won't see the pink boy losing an opportunity to flirt, even if he's overthinking. "I guess the less I deserve is a thanks hug" he says with his arms open, hoping this makes the other come closer.

The black haired stares at him some eternal seconds, having an inner debate about if he should hug him or not. Seeing that he is taking too much, Jaemin closes the gap between them and wrap his arms gently around him.

And Jeno's mind stops working.

The invisible boy squeezes a little bit just to make the other hugs him back, what Jeno does as if he was in a dream, slowly. He places his cheek on Jaemin's shoulder and closes the eyes. He's not used to this feeling, the way Jaemin makes him nervous and calm at the same time. Renjun makes him feel good in general, but Jaemin is different. Why the heck is he thinking about the two?

"Are you ok?" the pink whispers, moving in their hug.

Jeno doesn't know how to express his emotions because not even he knows what is happening inside him, so he answers in the only way possible for him: mutant's morse code. He taps Jaemin's back, a long touch, two shorts, one second quiet, another long touch and a few brief then.

They untangle staring at each other eyes, Jaemin with a stupid smile and the other with a light red shade on his cheeks. "I'm going back inside" the younger says. Jeno nods slow and looks away, getting a cigarette from one of his pockets. He needs to think.

Jaemin walks inside thinking and rethinking about what the cold and unbreakable co-leader of one of the three most powerful Tribes in the Mutant's Resistance just told him: I am ok because of you.

I am ok because of you.

Already inside, Jaemin walks happily to the kitchen where some of the members. Renjun smiles seeing Jaemin smiling too, and without any further explanation the taller peck him on the cheek and hugs the smaller boy tight. Obviously, the blonde boy hugs back although he doesn't know what's happening.

The pinky breaks the close touch and goes to the computer room to talk with Doyoung about their next move in the mission, leaving a blushing Renjun behind him. Mark and Haechan look at each other with a smirk, starting to annoying the embarrassed boy. But Renjun isn't embarrassed because the short kiss was ridiculous or something, not at all. He just... like it.

He likes Jaemin and he can't deny that.

·

"Jisung" the shorter calls him, rotating on his chair to look at the ginger, who turns his face to look at Chenle as well. "I think I have it."

"What do you mean?" Jisung stands up and comes closer to the screen his friend is looking at.

"The numbers and letters that weren't coordinates nor code, I think I know what it is" and he points at one part of the screen. "These are percentages because all together make 100" now he points at another part of the screen so Jisung follows. "And these are symbols of the periodic table of elements, you see it? But they aren't in order that's why it was difficult to guess. O, C, H, N and all the rest important minerals to create life."

Jisung frowns, thoughtful. "I see it, but why... wait, wait, Chenle! Chenle, they are elements in the humans body, right?"

Chenle tries to think what's on the other's brain. "Yeah... but mutants have those elements changed, they have less carbon atoms than us and also more minerals."

"Do you think...?" Jisung can't even ask that assumption.

Chenle nods with wide eyes and a broken voice. "Bad people already know how to kill mutants."

They look at each other with a sudden feeling of horror.


	12. First kiss

The short man turns sleepy in the bed to hug his boyfriend, but his arms touch nothing next to him. The couple has been busy all night until they fall asleep. This man, called Chittaphon, opens his eyes and blinks confused when he sees Johnny not next to him but in the desk, working in front of the computer. Chittaphon checks his phone and it's around 2 AM, so he gets up and wears the boxers and the shirt he threw on the floor. He has a slightly achy back and legs from the effort a few hours ago, but calm and happy inside because they haven't spent a night together since last month; sure they had sex during that time but not in the romantic way he likes to do it, just some quickies. Last night he finally seduced the older enough to make him stay, and oh how much did he miss Johnny.

He's usually very caring with all the boyfriends over his life although never too attached what causes the others to broke up with him after a while. But this doesn't seem like his past relationships. He's very comfortable with Johnny who understands that his career as a professional model is before boys, travelling here and there keeping to strict schedules. And Chittaphon also understands that Johnny's job isn't easy neither, even if he can't tell him big things because everything it's confidential. With all this trust and good chemistry, they are together for almost a year now.

"What gets you awake, babe?" a sweet voice comes from behind Johnny and a pair of arms slowly embrace his bare shoulders. Chittaphon puts his chin on the taller's head.

Johnny smiles and throws his head back to connect lips with his lover. The simple action surprises the poor dozing man but quickly responds to the kiss even if their posture is a little awkward.

"Can't sleep" Johnny whispers when they separate, looking at his boyfriend's eyes, not feeling like talking louder for the intimacy in their room. Well, Chittaphon's room. They still live in their own houses even if they visit each other very often.

"I thought you said you were tired" the younger says with a smirk, sitting in the chair next to Johnny and laying his head on his shoulder.

The older laughs. "Yeah, physically I am, but my brain it's hyperactive" and he continues his research on the internet. He can't get out of his head the conversation he had with the three leaders of the tribes, Lisa, Bang Chan and Doyoung; it's part of his job to help them and investigate about them too.

Chittaphon looks at the screen and reads something about the chemical elements in the human body and plants; he doesn't know but mutants' composition is a mix between the nature of actual humans beings and the flora. "I was good with science at school, do you need any help?" he sits up and stares at Johnny.

The taller turns the head to look at him as well. "Honey, go to sleep, I don't want to bother you with my things, it's pretty late and-"

The younger cuts his boyfriend's little and useless speech. "Johnny, please! I know you are a detective or whatever but I need you to bother me with your things! That's what couples do, right? You have been very stressful lately... I really want to help" he crosses his arms, waiting for an answer; he is not going to accept an excuse this time.

Johnny considers all the possibilities. He sighs and ruffles Chittaphon's hair. "If I didn't tell you anything before is because this case is dangerous, you know I trust you" he caresses his boyfriend's face with both hands.

Chittaphon melts to the sweet touch. "I know, and I'm not asking you to inform me about details, I just want you don't go crazy alone" he pouts and leans over Johnny's mouth, kissing him slowly. The older continues stroking the other's cheeks with one hand and his other one goes down to his boyfriend's waist, moving him closer. The kiss takes some minutes, a lazy passion flows in both men, some quiet groans, both enjoying it until the shorter pulls away to breathe. "Tell me, please, two heads are better than one."

Johnny puts both of his hands away from his boy and tries to explain the mutant's case without saying anything very specific, pointing to the screen. "Well, I was looking for some info about differences between the abundance of nutrients in humans and plants, and how you can kill one of them without killing the other."

Chittaphon raises a brow. "You aren't going to kill anyone, are you?"

The older chuckles and caress the legs that are still on top of him. "On the contrary, sweetie, I need to prevent those possible deaths to happen."

His boy smiles and closes his eyes, thinking. "Mmh the most significant difference among plants and humans is that the green things have energy-storage molecules, it means that plants are capable of making their own food while humans depend on others for survival. It's easier to kill a human than a plant and they are stronger in extreme situations, for example after a nuclear bomb, you know? Humans can't survive around the disaster area but vegetation still springs up. Even tho, plants are more sensitive to sudden environmental changes."

Johnny looks at him. "What does it mean?"

"Normally, a person overcomes a disease pretty quickly with modern medicine but then it's way more difficult to health a sick plant, they normally die in a few days if not in the same day they catch the bacteria" Chittaphon shrugs, curious eyes glued to his man's.

It clicks, Johnny thinks. Mutants' immune system is so much stronger than humans', that's not new for him but it is the fact that something can kill them in a few hours without hurting humans. "So how could someone kill vegetation without killing us? By which way?"

Chittaphon yawns wide and gets his legs out of Johnny, stretching himself on the chair. "Practically by any method, but water is the most effective."

The older's face shows incomprehension. "Water?"

The shorter man gets up and kisses Johnny's forehead, walking again to their bed. "Rain, babe. Rain. Goodnight!"

Johnny's breathing stops, his boyfriend completely unaware.

Are they going... to attack mutants by the rain?

·

"So, tomorrow?" Renjun asks the black haired.

"Tomorrow in the evening" Jeno nods, staring at him a few seconds more than he should and the blonde stares back. The mutant's eyes quickly look at the screen again, a weird feeling inside him that the hybrid definitely feels too.

Renjun glimpses at the other mutant next to his other side and blushes when he sees Jaemin's smirk because the pink haired notices how cute is Jeno when he's nervous. Nervous because of Renjun.

The three boys are on the computer's room planning the next mission: they are going to enter the subterranean lab that Doyoung, Lisa and Mina visited some weeks ago in their last mission. The Building closes at 8 PM so that's when they are going to break into the place.

They need to know, the need to find out something, a solution for their lives. For the Tribes. For all the mutants around the world.

They switch off all the gadgets and walk slowly to their room, chatting about silly things to take a break from their nocturnal work. Jaemin is in the middle so he encloses his arms around the other boys' shoulders, smiling at the very different reaction from each of them: Renjun relaxes under the touch and Jeno shudders for the surprise; even so, the black haired doesn't reject him and that makes happy the two boys next to him. And happiness is not even the feeling, is more calm.

They are about to enter the bedroom when a whisper sounds. "Jeno?" and the called boy turns his head to see Haechan opening his door, full dressed instead of his sleeping clothes. "Chuu just texted me, can you carry me to the girl's Tribe?" the red haired see the annoyed and tired face of his friend, due to the hours it is, so he tries one more time. "Please, she's my sister! She's having stomach ache and sais the others are fighting so nobody cares about her, she's sad Jeno, she really needs! Please!"

The black haired sighs and smiles at how dramatic Haechan can be sometimes. He takes a quick look to his roommates who are waiting for him in front of their door. "Go to sleep, I'm coming right back" and with that, the red haired jumps happy like a kid, holding Jeno by the arm and both boys walking to the outside for the taller to use his superspeed to visit East Tribe.

Both boys close the door, the pinky yawning wide. Renjun looks at him. "He wasn't nervous now."

Jaemin rubs his eyes and ruffles his rose locks, trying to stay awake and conscious. "Who?"

The shorter rets his back on the wall. "Jeno" and he blushes, making the taller chuckle.

"Well, Haechan isn't you" Jaemin shurgs.

This time is Renjun the one who doesn't get it. Or better said, he doesn't want to get it. "What do you mean..."

Jaemin sighs as if he was to explain the most obvious thing in this universe. "Renjun, he likes you, that's why he behaves so weird lately. He told me."

The blonde is overwhelmed right now. "W- what... he really told you that?" his imagination just can't see the cold looking Jeno expressing his feelings that easy.

"Well, he didn't say it explicitly but he didn't deny it neither."

The invisible boy leans his back on the wall as well, waiting for Renjun to codify all this new information. Finally, the hybrid talks softly. "Why were you two talking about me?"

Jaemin's cheeks heat up a little, not expecting that question. But he quickly recovers himself to his usual charisma. "You are a good topic to talk about" Renjun hits the taller's arm and chest, wanting him to shut up, but Jaemin laughs at this action. "I don't really remember why, but I didn't deny it neither."

The blonde stops hitting him and looks at his eyes intensely, already understanding what he's referring to. "Deny... what exactly."

The pinky stares back, being serious now. "That I like you."

Renjun wants to die of embarrassment, moving a few steps away from the guy just confessed his... love for him? "I- I, me... I don't know know what to say, Jaemin."

Jaemin shoots a sweet smile. "I don't need you to say a thing, I just found ridiculous to hide it anymore. I mean, it's nothing bad, right?"

The hybrid's heart is beating fast, not only because of his own feelings but also Jaemin's emotions all over his body. "It's not bad, it isn't. It's... cool, actually" he bites his lower lip, looking somewhere on the floor.

The mutant giggles and comes closer. "Cool? That's all?"

Renjun looks up and finds Jaemin's sparkling eyes. He takes a moment to appreciate the taller's features, unintentionally comparing him with Jeno; both boys are beautiful, the co-leader of the Tribe being sharper and the invisible boy being more delicate. Both boys... are inside his head at the same time.

But now, there's only one of them in front of him, waiting for a response, a couple of centimetres apart. Renjun's throat is dry and his mouth talks alone. "I might like you too."

Jaemin blushes a little. "Might? How is that?"

"I might have talked with Jeno about you too, and I might tell him that I feel things for you but..." he frowns, not know how to continue the sentence.

The pinky notices his doubt. "But...?"

Renjun bites his lip again, trying to pick the correct words. "I don't know if I'm ready, Jaemin."

"Ready for what? For me? For Jeno?" he's lost at this point, not liking how the conversation is turning.

The shorter chuckles, a nervous laugh. "I- I don't know, I like you but I think-"

But something cuts him off.

A pair of lips. Jaemin's lips.

A simple kiss, longer than a peck but not deep enough. Jaemin's hands placed on his shoulders, pulling him closer to him. A kiss that not only cuts Renjun's sentence but himself too; the nerves are gone, the insecurities are gone, the anxiety is gone for those seconds. He doesn't kiss back but doesn't reject the other boy either, his body simply isn't able to move.

Jaemin pulls away slowly and sets his eyes on the boy's face. He smiles brightly when he sees the pink tone in his cheeks. "Is this still just cool for you?" his eyes going down to look at the boy's lips.

Renjun chuckles, now relaxed. He senses what Jaemin wants and he realizes it's not an uncomfortable feeling not at all. It is pure.

"I might... want that to happen again" he murmurs, brave enough to look at the fleshy lips in front of him, some centimetres above his eyes.

Without more words, Jaemin bends and holds Renjun's face and smashes their lips again. They close their eyes in relief. This time he moves more fierce, pulling the shorter back until he's pressed against the wall. Renjun catches his quick rhythm and finally kisses back, even though he tries to slow down Jaemin's energy by biting the pinky's lower lip, both boys slightly open their eyes to look at each other.

Jaemin smiles, closes his eyes again and lets Renjun set the pace. The hybrid's lips move slowly and peaceful, very different how the pinky is used to kiss people. But he likes it, he likes him.

The blonde roams his hands around the mutant's torso, who moans softly. That allows Renjun's tongue to access into Jaemin's mouth, shyly licking the lips and caressing the insides.

The pinky brushes the blonde hair with one hand while the other is placed on his back to prevent the shorter to hurt his back against the hard wall. He opens wider his mouth and sucks Renjun's tongue, making him to jolts in surprise.

The blonde boy disconnects the two, gasping, hands on the other's nape. Jaemin starts kissing him from the cheeks to the neck, stopping there and bite it, holding his waist which makes Renjun be the one who moans this time, a little louder than he expected, eyes closed.

Suddenly, a strong sound interrupts them, as if someone had slammed the door violently, so both boys turn his head but don't see anyone there. A bad feeling goes across Renjun and he pulls Jaemin away from him, running to open the door and finding exactly what he didn't want to find.

Who.

Jeno.

A pale and teary Jeno.

"Oh shit..." Jaemin swears in a whisper behind the hybrid.

Jeno glances both boys in front of him, not believing what he just saw: Jaemin, the boy who has started to trust, making out with Renjun, the boy who he has feelings for.

And Renjun feels it: the letdown, the disappointment. The feeling is so strong in the ambient that even Jaemin can feel it.

"Jeno..." the blonde takes a step closer, but the black haired raises a hand to stop him and draws a sad smile, not really understanding why is he sad. The two didn't seem sad a minute ago for sure.

"It's okay" and with that, he disappears. He runs away from there.

Because all the emotions, good and bad ones, Renjun starts crying, his eyes can't stop for dropping tears. Jaemin hugs him tight and sighs heavily, knowing that he has fucked it up.

"Sorry..." he says to Renjun, but little does he know that he's saying it to Jeno.

·

Jeno arrives at where he left some minutes ago, East Tribe. He has an intense headache. He listens Lisa's angry screams in the distance, arguing with some other girls. He enters the bedroom he knows is the person he needs right now: Yeeun. He could vent with his brother too, of course, but talking with Doyoung means stay in South and he doesn't need to be close the other two boys.

Chuu and Haechan are already sleeping hugging each other, and Yeeun is lying down in the other bed scrolling on her phone. She gets scared, not expecting Jeno to come back. They just need a brief look in the eyes to know something is not going right.

The girl moves to one side on her bed and opens his arms, welcoming a tearful boy, a boy that everyone thinks is intimidating and cold. She rocks him a little in their embrace, Jeno quietly sobbing to not waking up the siblings next to them.

"What's wrong?" the blonde girl whispers, patting his head.

Jeno takes deep breathing to relax himself and looks at her.

"Me."

·

At the other extreme of the girl's unit, there's the other members trying to talk with a furious Lisa. She slams her hands on the table and everyone around her become silence.

"There's no excuse. Yuqi is not here" she talks in a low voice, looking at everyone but especially at Mina, the one who has hidden Yuqi's secret for so long even if she didn't do it on purpose. "And I'm 99% sure that she is with an outer human right now."

The room remains quiet, Mina and the rest of the girls knowing that their leader is going to say something else. Lisa crosses her arms.

"We have a problem, a huge one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! i'm trying hard to write soft moments with angst ugh i'm fangirling and suffering at the same time with my own story lol


	13. Friends?

Chuu and Yeeun wake up with the sound of screaming, and they know who those voices are: one is Lisa and the other is Yuqi.

The brunette girl slowly untangled herself from his brother trying not to wake him up, but the blonde girl rushes from the bed up to the outside, so Jeno obviously feel all the sudden movement because he was sleeping with her and lets out a growl with eyes still closed.

Yeeun and Chuu leave the bedroom to know what is happening with their comrades. Both girls arrive at the Central Room with hands intertwined, worried but ready for anything.

"You considerate this a good hour to come back? It's 6 in the morning and your night shift ended at half past four! Where the fuck were you all this time, huh?" the leader of East Tribe inquires to a teary Yuqi.

Some other members are trying to calm her down even if they well know when Lisa it's angry it's better not to get very close to her.

"I've already told you, I didn't realize what time it was!" the younger shout back, holding her tears back.

"You must be very busy outside all alone to forget about your work" Lisa emphasized the word alone; she wants Yuqi to tell the truth.

Of course, the younger isn't stupid and she becomes aware of the situation: Lisa knows there's someone, or at least that something not related with the Tribe is happening. Yuqi looks around the room to find her best friends with concerned faces, but mostly he stares at Mina among the other girls, the only one who knew about Lucas, and her suspicion is confirmed by the red haired's remorseful eyes. Just the thought of him makes Yuqi's throat hurts trying to talk above the knot she has inside.

"I..." she tries to excuse herself but already knows Lisa has caught her lies. Her eyes are burning with hidden tears, trying to be stronger than she actually feels. "I was sad, Lisa..."

The older's eyes spark in disbelief. "And you couldn't come to us for help?"

"I could but..."

"But?" Lisa takes a step closer to her, less angry and more worried for the younger who seems sad for real.

"I've really fucked it up" she covers her teary face with her hands and starts running away from all the girls looking at her, judging, feeling pity for her.

Lisa calls her in a scream and is about to run behind her but a hand grabs her arm. She turns around and sees Mina. "Let her go. She'll talk when she's ready."

And with that, the leader can do nothing but to sigh heavily.

Yuqi gets into the bedroom she shares with her three best friends, even if now she feels lonely, and wants to be alone actually. But when she slams the door closed and looks into the place, she blushes in surprised seeing Jeno and Haechan there. They do the same, realising that they are in the middle of a quarrel.

"The last thing I wanted to see is a boy and now there are two..." she grunts and lays on the bed next to the tanned boy.

And Jeno chuckles sadly at that. "Honestly? Same."

"Hey!" Haechan complains. "What's wrong with you two?"

The black haired gets up and starts stretching with a thoughtful face, not sure if he should say something due to his friend wake up without knowing why is he with the girls instead of in their Tribe, and Jeno just told him that he was angry with his roommates. The tanned boy is not the best keeping secrets and he already vented everything last night with Yeeun.

Yuqi, seen that Jeno isn't going to talk, takes the initiative. "I've broken up with my... boyfriend."

Both boys gasp in surprise and look at her. "Since when did you have one?" Haechan asks.

The girl sits up and dries her tears, the red haired boy rubbing her back and Jeno sits on the bed with them. "I don't know, years maybe."

Neither boys can believe that. One of the rules of the three tribes is 'No secrets'.

"And why have you broken up with... him?" Jeno asks although he's not enjoying talking about love and heartbreaks right now; the image of Renjun and Jaemin kissing as if there were no tomorrow is still going round and round inside his head.

Yuqi sets her back on the wall, hugs legs up to her chest and sighs falteringly. "I was his undercover girl, you know, nobody else out there knows about me but him. We broke up unwilled when I join the Tribe but I looked for him after some months... we were in love" she snorts that last sentence. "I visited him every time I had the night shift, not too much but enough. Everything was going fine until... a boy in his class asked him out. He accepted him because he was single for everyone and they were friends since high school or something like that, so why not, right? A good idea."

Haechan stares at her with a frown. "You don't seem satisfied with that 'good' idea."

Yuqi shifts her glance from him to Jeno and blushes, knowing that at this point of their conversation she can't avoid talking further. "W-well... couples do things together, you know? Things that you normally just enjoy with your partner, your real partner... and he did those things just with me but now he's doing it with the other guy too! It's supposed that he was faking that relationship b-but what the heck?" she hides her red face between her knees folded, a mix of rage, sadness and embarrassment.

Jeno understands her immediately but the younger of the three takes some seconds to get what couple things exactly means, and when he does it his cheeks turn a darker shade.

The black haired notices it and chuckles softly, even if himself is thinking more than he should, thinking about a sweet blonde boy, about a pretty pinky boy too, and feeling bitter inside. It's not sadness anymore but he doesn't know what is he feeling for the two.

The girl looks up and sees how cute they are with their embarrassed faces. "What is going on in your heads? Are you shy to talk about sex with a girl?"

Haechan touches his cheeks to feel how hot they are. "N-no, is not that, it's just..." he doesn't how to explain himself with his still sleepy brain.

"He likes Mark and he's thinking about him right now" Jeno murmurs with a smirk.

The younger jolts in the bed and pushes him. "SHUT UP!"

Yuqi and Jeno laugh at his reaction, the girl talking again. "Mark is a good person, not only as a comrade but as a lover" the tanned looks at him questioning eyes. She shrugs. "Mina told me, he treated her good even if it was nothing serious."

Haechan hides between the pillows. "Ugh, Mina and Jaemin seriously can't shut their mouths."

Jeno simply stays quiet looking at the floor, but Yuqi tilts her head wanting to know more. "Jaemin? What's with him?"

The red haired and now red face boy peeks between the pillows. "I told him that I like... that I like Mark and he's everyday teasing me, but even in front of Mark!" he says like a kid complaining about his annoying brother.

The girl raises her brows, incredulous. "He seemed cool, I didn't know that he's such an idiot."

The tanned hisses. "Sometimes he is."

"He is not."

Yuqi and Haechan turn their faces to look at who has said that: Jeno.

"What do you mean?" she asks to the black haired.

"Jaemin is not an idiot, he's indeed a good comrade, he just... let himself be carried away with passion too often, he never thinks about consequences" Jeno murmurs.

"But you told me before that you were angry with him and Renjun" the younger says, confused.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean that I hate him... and I don't Renjun neither" he gulps and Yuqi raises a brow at that comment finding really interesting the conversation. He notices the girl's cocky expression so he grabs Haechan and gets up, already walking to the outside. "We have to go. Good luck, Yuqi."

She smiles, less stressed than before, and the two boys start their way back home without interrupting the girls in the other room, Jeno using his superspeed with his friend on his back.

She's finally alone in her room so is when her leader enters and closes the door behind her. Lisa and Yuqi stare at each other already knowing that they need to talk seriously.

It's going to be a long day.

·

In South Tribe, two boys wake up thanks to the alarm.

Renjun moves lazily away from the pinky and snaps his finger to turn off the sound. Jaemin softly grows when he feels cold without the other between his arms.

"I'm right here, you grumpy" the blonde whispers, tangling himself again into the taller. Jaemin gets comfortable hugging him tight and placing his head in Renjun neck. This new position lets the shorter enough space to look at the other bed, finding that it's empty; as he expected, Jeno hasn't slept there.

Renjun sighs. That doesn't go unnoticed by Jaemin so he finally opens his eyes and looks up to Renjun, who looks at him too. They stare at each other's eyes for some seconds before coming closer and share a sweet good morning kiss on the lips. It only takes a moment but it feels infinite, and every time they have kissed since yesterday feels the same.

Last night, after being caught making out, Jeno running away and Renjun crying because of everything, Jaemin tried to calm the tricky situation with the only solution he could think: kissing Renjun again. But that time, they didn't rush, both boys spent several minutes laying down on the bed pecking the other's lips, face, neck and hands, simply getting used to this new kind of affection between them, until their eyelids got to sleep.

"Let's get ready for tonight's mission" Renjun says in Jaemin's lips, and he separates from him.

"It's 7 in the morning, we have a lot of time, let's procrastinate for once" the pink haired answers, pulling the blonde down into his arms.

"No, Jaemin, we have to plan even the smallest detail, we are going to break into the BCB again and that people are out of their minds!" the shorter complains trying to escape from the taller.

"You are the smallest detail I've ever seen" Jaemin jokes, holding him tight.

Renjun hits his chest but smiles when the mutant presses his lips against his again, slowly. It seems normal, almost natural, both boys kissing; but for some reason, it feels weird too.

And they both know who is that reason.

The hybrid pulls away and sits on the bed, glimpsing the empty bed in the room. Jaemin knows what he's thinking, he can see it in his sparkling eyes. "We will solve this shit" he whispers.

"I don't know... you didn't feel him, Jaemin, he was disappointed, he was more than sad, it felt like hopeless" Renjun says while getting up.

"I couldn't feel him but I saw him" the taller says in a low voice, still feeling guilty. "Believe me, I never thought I'd see the impenetrable and unbreakable Jeno like that... In the beginning, I'd have been happy to piss him off but now..." he doesn't know how to continue the sentence, cheeks turning as pink as his hair.

The blonde stops his way to the bathroom and looks at Jaemin because he has felt something. Last night he only felt his guilt for Jeno and his tenderness for him, but now that the mutant is talking about the other mutant, Renjun is feeling that kind of love too; it's not just remorse because Jeno has seen him kissing the guy he likes, it's that he cares about Jeno, he cares about him in a similar way he cares about Renjun.

"You don't want to hurt him" the hybrid says.

Jaemin looks at him big doe eyes. "Of course I don't!"

Renjun smiles softly. "Me neither... he seems cold but he has a lot inside him" and the pinky smiles back, knowing it's true.

Then, they both get ready for the day, first taking a shower and eating breakfast, and second going to talk with Doyoung, Chenle, Mark and Jisung. Haechan arrives when they are already spying the Bussines Central Building (BCB) with the cameras, and today the place looks quiet, workers doing their thing here and there, and no one taking the elevator or the stairs to go to the labs.

After a couple of hours, they have everything organised for tonight's mission where Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun will trespass on the subterranean lab. Suddenly, Doyoung receives a call by Johnny so he excuses himself and exits the room to talk with the human. That's the opportunity Renjun was looking for, so he grabs Haechan's sleeve and pulls him backwards from the rest of the boys, and the tanned boy stares at the hybrid in confusion.

"Where's him?" Renjun whispers.

Now, the mutant understands. "Jeno?" Renjun nods. "He told me that he needed to unleash his energy so I guess he's at the gym" the blonde nods again and is about to leave the room in search of the black haired, but he's stopped by Haechan's hand on his shoulder making him turn. "Is everything okay?" he asks with a frown.

Renjun feels his worry so he draws a tiny smile. "It will be."

Haechan's eyes relax a little. "He said that he was angry with you and Jaemin but then he contradicted himself saying that you two are good comrades and blah blah blah."

The hybrid chuckles, finding funny that because it's a very Jeno thing to say. "Trust me, everything will be okay."

The red haired smiles and Renjun finally walks out to the room with the others and lets himself be guided by Jeno's feelings, going directly to the gym that is where those feelings come from, but the blonde doesn't know exactly what kind of emotion is the mutant experimenting because it feels like a hotchpotch of a lot of feelings at the same time.

When he opens the sliding door, he sees a sweaty Jeno in the running machine. The mutant hears the noise closing the door and stops; he spins around and Renjun feels all the mixture of feelings fading away when they make eye contact.

"Hi" the hybrid says with a shy smile.

Jeno signs and starts walking to him. "Hey."

"I should be doing the same, it's been some days that I don't do exercise" the blonde tries to break the ice.

But Jeno doesn't feel up to it. "Are you here to tell me that?"

Renjun's smile disappears. "No, no, of course not, I just... I just wanted to apologise."

The mutant raises a brow, not expecting that. "You haven't done anything bad."

They are now facing each other and Renjun blushes a little. "I hurt you... unintentionally, but I still feel bad."

Jeno snorts. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't feel shame nor pity. I don't want..." he looks at the ceiling trying to find the words, and then he looks again to Renjun. "I don't want our friendship is based on bad feelings."

And with that, the only thing the shorter is able to do is to take a step forward and hugs the boy, and hug him tight. Jeno would lie if he said that he can breathe right now.

Renjun closes his eyes and smiles, hiding his face in the other's neck. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" the black haired glimpses down to the blonde.

"Don't feel embarrassed" the hybrid whispers.

Jeno smiles softly even if he's nervous inside, and hugs him back. He enclosed him in his arms and places his cheek in Renjun's hair, liking how good it smells, and the mutant suddenly laughs, making the shorter looks up at him with a confused face. "I'm all sweaty and you're showered, this is so nasty."

Renjun chuckles and comes back to his previous hug position. "Shut up."

They rock a little in that position, no need to say anything more; physical contact is enough. The mutant is thinking about how great Yeeun is giving advice because the girl told him last night that it's not bad to open up to the people you love, and that he can't get angry because a boy he likes is kissing another boy instead of him because that is being selfish. And the hybrid likes so much the way Jeno is so calm now, he likes this sentimental and peaceful part of Jeno. He likes... Jeno?

Does he likes Jeno too?

At that moment, the door is opened and both boys separate to look at who is there.

"So you two are having fun without me?" Jaemin says, more than happy that at least they two are on good terms now.

Jeno rolls his eyes. "It seems like we can't have fun if it's not in pairs" he says, walking to the new arrival in the room.

The invisible boy tilts his head. "Hey, you know I'm sorry and everything, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but don't be" and the black haired's hand is now in front of Jaemin, ready to shake his as a show that everything is okay and that he doesn't want to overthink about them anymore.

Jaemin looks at him in disbelieve. "Are you serious? I want a hug too, asshole" he pushes the hand and embraces Jeno, but quickly pulls away, without time for the other to hug him back. "Ew, you stink!"

Renjun laughs loudly and that's when Jeno grabs the pinky and hugs him tight. "I'm older than you so deal with it!"

The three spent some time together in there, talking about the Tribe and their uncertain future, they even do some exercise together and laugh. All the bad tension between the three boys has gone.

After having lunch, Doyoung has to leave to meet Johnny, it seems an emergency but he promises the boys that he will come back at night on time for the mission. It's close to 8 PM so the co-leader of South Tribe and the hybrid wear the techno gloves energy keeping, as Jaemin has baptised, so the two can now use part of the pinky's invisibility as they do the last time. The main plan tonight is simply to break into the lab in the lower floor of the BCB and takes everything could be useful; easy peasy.

Jeno runs with his superspeed firstly with Jaemin and then with Renjun on his back. The three have cameras on their chokers so the rest of the comrades are able to see where are they. Members of the three tribes are helping to guide them from their computers and also guard incognito the surroundings of that place from the park that is next to it. When they are in front of the big doors, Chuu focus from the distance and uses her gift to disconnect the security system's energy, so the trio enters into the big building without being noticed by inner cameras nor alarms.

Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin walk straight downstairs and start going step by step, but they end up running down impatience, trying not to stumble to the lack of light, until they reach the metallic door they were looking for. Due to electricity is gone thanks to Chuu, the closing's system of the door doesn't work and they can get into the lab without a key.

"This place smells like chemicals as hell" Jeno whispers.

"Radioactivity here is higher" Renjun informs, looking at one of the gadgets they have.

"I think we could mutate again if we spend too much time here" Jaemin comments, without believing how big is that room.

Glass objects everywhere, buttons around the walls and notes on the tables and floor. Even electoral posters and graphics for the next presidential election in a few weeks. The three boys record with their cameras everything and keep on their bags the most things they can. At the end of that room, they find out another metallic door with a red light above, the only light that is not back-up lighting, and the only door that is closed.

"There's no fucking way to open this shit!" Jeno says after trying hard to break it.

"Stop, you're going to hurt yourself" Renjun holds him away from the door, not liking the sensation of the actual situation.

"Where does this door lead?" Jaemin asks their comrades through his earphones.

Jisung searches the building's map and Chenle is about to answer when Bang Chan, who is outside, talks. "Guys, you better get out of that sick place."

The three share a nervous look. "Why, what's wrong out there?" Jeno asks. 

"I don't know exactly but a lot of black vans are arriving at the park and weird people are fencing the area."

"They look like secret police" Mark comments, in the other extreme of the park.

"Guys, we need to go right now" Chuu adds.

The three boys take everything in a rush and go upstairs, surprised when they see all the people with black clothes black glasses and black face masks telling people in the park that they need to clear the place. They see their comrades in the distance and run in that way, holding hands without even realising.

After more than two hours, they all are finally in their corresponding tribe. Jaemin gave his backpack to Chuu so the girls can now investigate about those notes and objects; Renjun did the same to the boys on West Tribe, making easier the investigation if they all distribute the work.

Jeno is about to ask about his brother when Doyoung enters the Unit. "Sorry kids, I know I'm late but out new friend Johnny the human has investigated for his own and we already know why every date in the lab's documents are next month."

His little brother just needs a second to think deep. "The elections?"

The leader of the Tribe looks at him with proud eyes. "Exactly. And we are running out of days to react and attack them."

"Who are them? The Government? Or those weird dudes from before?" Mark asks.

Doyoung sighs and sits down on a chair. "I wish it was just those weird dudes. I wish."

Everyone in the room gulps.

·

It's midnight and they need to sleep, so tonight the two younger members and Haechan take a break and go to one of the bedrooms. Doyoung and Mark continue with their usual night shift. Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun get into their shared room and the hybrid feels the awkwardness; before, two beds and three people never was inconvenient because it was sure that Jeno didn't want to be with the other two. But now that they are reconciled neither of them knows with who sleeps.

Jaemin clears his throat. "I'll sleep alone."

The two looks at him. "Why?" Jeno asks.

"Because last night I slept with Renjun so tonight it's your turn."

"Hey, don't treat me like that!" the blonde hits him on the arm and the pinky chuckles in return.

Jeno blushes a little. "But still, I know you two wants to be together. Don't worry about me."

He's about to take his way to the bed he normally sleeps in but is impeded by a grumpy Renjun who pulls him to the other bed, and then the blonde grabs Jaemin too. "Can you both stop with such stupid suggestions? Have you ever considerate my opinion?"

The two taller boys glimpses at each other, not knowing what to say. "And what do you want?" Jaemin murmurs, too tired for using his invisibility during hours before.

"This is an individual bed but it's pretty good, and you know where there's a room for two there's for three too" he moves and pats Jeno's and Jaemin's legs for them to get behind the sheets with him. He lays down on his back and smiles seeing the two with red faces, especially the black haired. "I've already slept with the two of them separately so c'mon, I just want to sleep!"

The pink chuckles and cuddles next to him. Jeno hesitates a few seconds, but his mouth yawns wide and decides to stop thinking too much and lays on his side next to Renjun's body as Jaemin has done, and snaps his fingers to switch off the lights.

This let the hybrid surrounded by the other two boys, he feels all the good emotions inside them and he smiles in the darkness. Jaemin hugs his waist, and Jeno places one hand on Renjun's chest and the other arm around Renjun's arm next to him. The shorter sneaks his hands to intertwine each hand with the two, and he blushes hard when both boys squeeze back their hands with him, moving closer and Jaemin and Jeno even twisting their legs together on top on Renjun's. The three are literally tangled.

The blonde is not used to be this spoiled and he swears he could die of happiness right now; not just because of so many attention at the same time but mostly because his two friends are getting along.

Wait, friends?


	14. I'm here

"Those motherfuckers are going to end in hell soon" Woojin hisses, checking all the info in their screen and comparing it with the holographic archives around him.

"As if this wasn't the actual hell" Bang Chan snorts. He helps Jaemin to put on all the wires and chips they need for the current operation: extract part of his invisibility to use it for the rest of the mutants there in the Tribes so he won't get tired in every mission that takes hours. With all the studies they have already done about mutants' anatomy and biology, they have researched that the power every mutant has inside them is a form of energy that can be transformed. So this is what they're about to do.

They need to act quick but with sense, because of two important reasons. One, this is the first time West Tribe is literally operating on someone when they are focused on inventing gadgets and improve the technology in the units to help the other members. And secondly, this is the first time the bad people are going to show their intentions publicly. They all have talked with Johnny, who is now their human partner, and he fully has investigated all the documents and researches the mutants have done before. Unkown people related to the Government are willing to create a political campaign against the mutants, and that's very intelligent because people in the power need to have the rest of the population under their control and that means to spread horror and fear.

"Are you sure about this?" Renjun squeezes Jaemin's hand while Chan continues putting on all the necessary and Woojin is connecting everything, both attentive to every technological detail.

The pink haired smiles and nods with a slight movement of his head, not wanting to make any wire to fall down. "I'm going to survive, babe."

The hybrid chuckles. "Don't call me that, I'm like half year older than you!"

Jaemin is about to answer but is interrupted by Chan. "Guys, everything is set and ready."

Renjun looks at him, then at Woojin behind the leader. "Okay, good luck guys" he places his gaze on his lover again and kisses Jaemin's head before getting up and walks outside the room, closing the door.

Out in the hall where Jeno is waiting for him.

The blonde takes a seat next to him. "What we should do now?"

Jeno shrugs without looking at him, his eyes lost somewhere on the floor. "We can't leave him alone. We'll wait here."

Renjun not only notices his distant and cold behaviour but feels it too. It's not a specific feeling but obviously, Jeno is not in a good mood... but this morning he was. The hybrid decides to stop talking and thinks that the mutant will talk again when the silence between both boys started to be uncomfortable but Renjun just discovered that Jeno can be really quiet and unbothered in situations like this one. He glimpses at the black haired who has his arms leaned on his legs and is completely zoned out, so he can't help himself for letting out a soft chuckle.

With that, the mutant turns slowly to look at him. "What."

Renjun's smile fades out and tries to takes his friend seriously. "Nothing, you look as if you are having the most interesting conversation inside your head."

Jeno raises a brow and sighs. He leans back on the headrest on their chairs and closes his eyes. "Not interesting at all..." he murmurs.

Now, the hybrid feels a feeling he didn't feel inside the other for some days, weeks maybe: sadness. And he would be lying if he said that he isn't panicking because he doesn't want Jeno to be sad but doesn't know how to help him correctly, he tries and he just can't. Renjun can't even help himself. "What it is, then?" he places a hand on one of the Jeno's knees.

Jeno takes his time to answer but the shorter boy waits patiently, staring at his closed-eyes face, and the blonde boy blushes when he opens them again and they make intense eye contact. He's about to move his hand away when Jeno starts playing with it, so Renjun let him play with their fingers. "It is... annoying" he says, distracted, looking at Renjun's hand.

"Annoying?" Renjun repeats without understanding.

The taller nods doubtful and slowly intertwines their fingers, what completely blocks Renjun. "It is more difficult than you think" he moves his eyes to look at the blonde again.

Sad but soft eyes. And there again, Renjun feels something inside the mutant. Not only sorrow but like tenderness. He gulps and holds Jeno's hand with more security. "Jeno, what's wrong? You can trust me, you already know it."

They stare into each other for what seems like hours until Jeno lowers his gaze to their hands before speaking. "I know it, it's just that I... I feel weird."

Renjun stares at his eyelashes and hair above his forehead. "What does it mean?" he asks in a whisper, feeling the atmosphere around them intimate.

Jeno sighs again, this time more heavily. "I have never felt this before..." he lets his hand away from Renjun's and gets up, nerves and emotions stressing him.

Obviously, the hybrid senses everything and blushes, guessing what is he trying to explain, guessing that is what Jaemin told him days ago about both of them catching feelings for him. But Renjun has chosen the pinky boy before Jeno, he has chosen him before even talk properly with the black haired knowing that he could... like him for real. He like him indeed. And knowing how hard is for Jeno to trust anyone? He feels like shit because he knew all of that and still has hurt Jeno, he feels guilty. He feels like shit and guilty because he doesn't want Jeno to think that he doesn't care about him because he does. He does care a lot.

"Me neither" Renjun's mouth says, surprising the blonde himself and Jeno too. He gets up without breaking their eye contact. "I have never felt like this before neither."

They are now face to face, some inches of distance between their gazes. "Do you even know what this is?" Jeno asks him with a tired tone.

"I don't exactly get what your this is, but mine is pretty clear" the tears start to collapse behind his lacrimal. He's about to cry but it's not sadness, he feels overwhelmed.

The black haired is lost in the other's sparks by eyes. "Y-you have already been in a similar situation before" he murmurs, referring to having a lover.

Renjun chuckles and shakes his head. "Having two people who like me, and me liking two people at the same time? Never before."

The taller blinks confused. "Two?"

The blonde nods, a knot in his throat. "Never before and surely never again."

"Renjun... you better not play with me" Jeno trust him as a comrade but this is way different, way more.

"Do you really think that I'd do that?" 

"I hope you don't" he answers leaning his back on the wall and slides his body to the floor.

The hybrid sits in front of him and grabs his hands, making Jeno's cheeks go pink. Renjun holds a smile and takes deep air before talking. "I know you have... good feelings for me" Jeno rolls his eyes and grunts, so Renjun tightens their hands to make him look at him. "Yeah, Jaemin told me but I remind you that I can feel everyone's feeling too."

"But I don't want you to like me just because you know that I like you!" he complains, first time admitting his own feelings out loud. What's the use of hiding them anymore?

"Jeno, stop! It's also hard for me to get attached with anyone so please listen to me" said boy sits straight and pays attention to the blonde. "This is going to sound very cheesy but before the Tribe, my heart was completely broken. Not just my ex let from my side but my mum too. I had friends but I was fucking scared of feeling love again. I felt lonely. Yes I met Jaemin before you and yeah I've kissed him b-but- GOSH! Don't you realize how kind you are? Do you really think that you're impossible to love?"

Jeno's eyes are at the verge of crying. "That's no sense, you can't... you can't love two persons at the same time!" he untangles his hands from the blonde to rushes his own hair in frustration.

But Renjun grabs them again and comes closer with his knees. "I can because I'm doing it right now!" his eyes are also tearful, he doesn't know either how this works.

The mutant intertwines their fingers one more time. "Demonstrate it, then" he mutters, searching for understanding in his eyes.

The hybrid looks into him, not simply figuring out Jeno's feelings because he actually sense them but thanks to his intense and soft gaze. Even so, he asks. "What should I do?"

"Demonstrate that you like me as much as you like Jaemin" Jeno whispers with a broken voice, unsure of his own words.

Renjun blushes hard and it takes him some seconds to properly reacts. His hands lift to the black hair in front of him and both pair of eyes stare at each other. He leans and his lips kiss one of Jeno's cheeks, then brushes the black bangs away and kisses his forehead, and finally moves to kiss his other cheek. This show of affection makes the mutant chuckles, finding the blonde cute, but his smile disappears as soon as they make eye contact again, nervous at how close their faces are now.

The hybrid sets his hands on both sides of his face, caressing Jeno's skin with his thumbs. "Do you want all the way?"

A simple nod and that's all the consent he needs. Renjun leans slowly, hovering the other's lips, feeling both their breaths together, how his eyelashes caress Jeno's when their eyes close and finally kiss him on the lips. Jeno shivers under his touch and doesn't kiss him back. Renjun notices it and breaks the contact.

"Is anything wrong?" Renjun whispers, worried.

The mutant is simply in shock, eyes half open and face tinted red. His response is to lean forward to give him a real kiss. The shorter shuts his eyes again and moulds his lips with Jeno's, finding a new peace between the two. Although this is neither their first kiss, this doesn't feel like a normal kiss. This is better than anything any of them have experienced before, this is magical.

It is as if both of their broken parts have been repaired with that simple action.

The two boys kiss at a slow pace, stroking the other's lips with theirs, getting used to the sensation. Some minutes into that, Jeno places his hands on Renjun's back to hold him closer, and the blonde smiles in the kiss. Or rather, several kisses, mixing pecks and smooches with long and slow kisses, changing the position of their heads to find a more comfortable angle.

They start to speed up the rhythm they've set at the beginning but even now, with a few silent groans and shy tongues finally meeting, they stay calm and tender kissing on the floor. None of them need to rush, at the moment Jeno has Renjun, and Renjun has Jeno.

The hybrid tries not to compare but it's inevitable. Jaemin kisses and touches are always passionate and wake something inside him, a feeling of wanting more and more, that the pinky is willing to give him all without thinking twice. By contrast, he knows what Jeno gives to him is all he can give for now so every kiss and every little touch is enough and satisfied. The two mutants are so different but both makes him feel so good.

So alive.

They separate for breathing after several minutes, redden lips and foreheads touching. Their chests move up and down, panting and hearts beating almost out of their bodies. Jeno softly sobs and Renjun quickly cleans the tears with his sleeves that falls for the taller's eyes.

"Hey, hey, I'm here..."

Jeno smiles through his tears, honestly not getting why is he crying. "I know."

Renjun smiles too and kisses him again, the mutant kissing him back happily. He's happy. They are.

What they aren't conscious about, sitting there on the floor inside West Tribe and getting used to this new affection between the two, is that Chan has had to run out of the room to catch new supplies, where he and Woojin are operating Jaemin, and the door is still open. The invisible boy is weak but awake, Woojin taking off all the wires and chips around his body, and his mouth draws a tiny smile when he glimpses two boys kissing in the middle of the dark hall.


	15. Our spy

Yukhei is cleaning his shirt after someone run into him among all the people that are at the party and dropped a drink. He's in Jungwoo's bathroom on the first floor and the party is downstairs; if he was honest with himself, he wouldn't be there, because the cause of said event is as ridiculous as his boyfriend finally with his desired car license.

And Yukhei? He doesn't feel like partying right now, not since the big fight he had with Yuqi days ago. He feels like shit because of everything: cheating on Jungwoo with her undercover but at the same time catching feelings for him so he cheated on Yuqi as well. All of this situation isn't only his fault but still feels like that because what hurts him the most is not the fight with his (ex) girlfriend but the fact that his actual boyfriend remains oblivious.

Jungwoo doesn't know that half of his relationship with Yukhei has been simply a cover in their human world and that his tall, handsome and polite boyfriend has been fucking another person; not just a person but a mutant, and obviously the sweet Jungwoo has zero idea about the existence of those creatures, even if the government makes public announcements almost every day about some 'mysterious enemies'. He doesn't really care, he lives happily with his friends, his family, his good grades and his... good boyfriend.

So Yukhei feels like shit because of that, he has let down the two most important people in his life. Either way, he can't apologize to either of them. He doesn't know where Yuqi's Tribe is nor can say nothing to Jungwoo about that. It feels like a nightmare sometimes but he still smiles to his boyfriend everyday, Yukhei doesn't want him to worry about anything.

The tall guy is about to wear his now dry shirt again when a loud noise comes from the bathroom's window. He turns violently and sees the broken casement with crystals on the floor behind it.

"EH!" he screams getting closer, slowly, as he buttons up his shirt with shaking hands. He doesn't see anything around the room so he looks outside cautiously not walking on any piece of glass.

Nothing.

He sighs heavily and decides to come back to the party, but the moment he turns to the door is when stops and gasps, astonished.

Someone in front of the door.

"Good evening, Lucas" a mysterious girl greets him. She's skinny but looks strong, short blonde hair and bangs upon his fierce and sparkling eyes.

He gulps. "Who are you?" only his closest friends and family call him like that. And Yuqi did it too.

Lisa snorts, arms crossed on her chest. "Does it really matter the who more than why am I here?"

Yukhei takes some steps until he's in front of the girl; well, a woman indeed. "You just break into my boyfriend's house so stop playing around and answer me!" he raises his voice, not liking this situation.

"Boyfriend, huh?" she cocks an eyebrow, seeing the fear in his eyes.

His body tenses and his brain connects every loose end. "You are a friend of Yuqi, aren't you?"

Lisa smirks and leans his back on the closed door. "And you are more intelligent than I thought."

With that, Yukhei's usual calm character disappears and a wave of rage controls his body. "Listen here, bitch–"

He was going to push her against the door but Lisa's reflexes are quick to use his super strength. She grabs him by the collar, lifting his tall and muscular figure with just one arm and smashes him on the wall. Yukhei's eyes are wide open and he can't physically speak right now, that unexpected reaction from the female has scared the shit out of him.

"My name is Lisa, not bitch, bitch" she threatens.

He doubts and hesitates before talking again, and when he finally does it his voice is shaking. "H-hey, sorry ma'am, it wasn't m-my intention to offend you, okay?"

Lisa scowls at him and tightens her hold onto his shirt, lifting him a little more against the wall. "I hope for your own goods that you had never called my little Yuqi like that."

Yukhei's cheeks turn red. "What? No, I didn't and I won't, never in my life!"

Listening to those honest words, Lisa sets him free and Yukhei bends over and starts coughing trying to breathe normally again.

"Did she send you?" he takes a seat in the bathroom's stool, staring at her now with more curiosity than terror.

"Yuqi? She doesn't know where am I" Lisa leans again his back on the door. "She thinks I'm doing my usual night schedule."

The boy is lost. "Mmh? So may I ask what are you doing here?"

She slides herself until she's sitting on the floor, staring at Yukhei. "You are the only human out of our tribes that knows about us" obviously, she doesn't count Johnny because they can trust him; but this tall guy in front of her? He's a stranger.

And Lisa doesn't like strangers.

"Well, I don't think I know as much as you think... Yuqi told me things but just the basic" Lisa frowns and he tries to explain it better. "I know you guys are hiding out inside the forest that surrounds the city, and that you have missions to accomplish against... I don't know, she called them bad people and said that they want to destroy you all on the mere fact that you aren't genetically perfect and have superpowers of something like that" he sighs. "Honestly, we didn't talk too much when we were together..." his cheeks turn pink remembering those good times. 

"Don't need details, big boy. I have imagination" Lisa snorts and crosses her arms. "But I need you to understand that I can't let you go on your own with all that information even if you think it's not important."

Yukhei is getting nervous. "What do you want me to do? Yuqi yelled me that she doesn't want to see me never again, I can't show up as if nothing happened!"

"Calm down right now" Lisa gets up and starts walking around the bathroom. "Forget about Yuqi for a minute, okay? She's sad and mad, believe me I know, I see her everyday, but this is quite more serious than a breakup. You have to take action with us, better said... for us."

His big eyes widen even more. "W-what? You mean... become your spy?"

She looks at him. "Exactly, a human spy that nobody would ever suspect in the human world" Lisa goes to the broken window. "And this is not an offer, Lucas. You are going to be our spy and you'll shut your pretty mouth about this conversation."

Yukhei sees astonished at how the young woman climbs without any other explanation. "WAIT! Lisa, what the heck do you want me to do?" he runs to the little exit, where she squats on the windowsill.

"I have your number, just wait until you are necessary" she whispers, looking around the house.

"Really? You could at least dissimulate that you're literally going to use me."

Lisa has to control herself not to punch the guy. "You didn't conceal it neither when you played with her and your current boy, am I right?"

His heart jumps a beat, knowing she's right. "I- I didn't want to hurt no one and–"

But she cuts him off giving him both her middle fingers. "Fuck you, Lucas, you're lucky she's the strongest girl I've ever known and you'd be thankful I hadn't killed you two seconds ago, so don't screw it up now."

With that, she jumps and disappears in the dark night. Yukhei blinks to try stopping the tears that are burning his eyes when someone knocks the door. He rubs furiously his eyes and turns to see a pretty but scared face entering the bathroom.

"Love, is everything alright?" Jungwoo says, worried because his boyfriend has spent too many minutes outside the party, and even more when he glimpses the broken window and a tearful Yukhei in front of it. He runs to him and hugs him tightly. "What's wrong!?"

Yukhei hugs him back, liking the comfort of his lover but hating the feeling of guilt that is running inside his heart. "Nothing, a rebel cat crashes here but she already left. I got a little emotional" he lies.

Jungwoo laughs in his chest, looking up with a smile. "Then we can leave too. C'mon, it's almost midnight and there're a lot of songs we could be dancing right now!"

The taller stares at him finding nothing more than pure love in Jungwoo's eyes, and that beautiful emotion hurts him deeply. It hurts him that he can't tell the older anything, nothing but lies. But he smiles too and pecks the other's lips. "Yeah, let's go."

·

Jeno comes into their shared room, freshly showered. Renjun took the shower in the first place so he's quietly organizing all his documents in his electronic tablet, seated on the bed. The blonde raises his eyes and smiles at the mutant.

"What are you doing? I thought you were already sleeping" Jeno asks, taking a seat next to him.

"I'm trying to save my old archives and put in order the new ones" Renjun points at the screen. "See? All these files are full of college's bullshit, I don't want to delete them but I don't think I will ever use them anyway, I hope I won't."

The black haired laughs listening to that statement. "I've never gone to college, is it cool?" Jeno looks at the blonde deep in the eyes, moving a little closer.

Renjun thinks some seconds. "It depends" he looks at Jeno too and realises that their faces are a few inches away. "The part when you start learning only what you are interested in it's cool, but in general people in those places suck, moreover in the Art world because of the constant competition."

"You liked drawing and dancing, right?" the black haired says softly.

"I liked and I still like it, but now I'm a big boy who has responsibilities in one of the greatest clans against the government" he half jokes.

"Well, here you risk your life but at least there aren't exams" Jeno chuckles.

Renjun's mouth can't help for smiling; it's amazing how much the other has changed since he joined the Tribe. Jeno is not cold anymore, is not rude or threating. He's still very reserved about his own feelings but little by little he's opening to Renjun.

"Why are you smiling?" the mutant asks after a moment of silence between the two.

"Can I kiss you?" the hybrid says without thinking, and well not like he regrets it.

Jeno blushes hard, not expecting that. "You know you can always... kiss me."

The happiness inside the blonde is inexplicable: can't believe he just made the manly and unbreakable Jeno a blushing baby boy. He leaves his tablet on the bed and holds Jeno's hands, who smiles shyly; even if it feels cozy and good with Renjun, he's still not used to sudden affection. But this is not only about their furtive kisses, it's also about how comfortable they are together.

They stare at each other before both closing their shinny eyes and let their lips to do the rest of the work. As always, they move slow and gentle, Jeno's lips simply mould into Renjun's and Renjun's into Jeno's. The blonde is calm doing it but the mutant insides are wild and excited, almost scared.

They spent some minutes kissing as if they were in a fairy tale. The hybrid sense Jeno's strong emotions so he wants to deepen into the kiss, his tongue brushes the other's lips but Jeno jolts and separates. Renjun opens his eyes, worried that he has misunderstood his feelings. Jeno's face is all flushed and he himself doesn't know why. They have already made out before so what's wrong today? He's simply nervous and he can't control it.

He leans his forehead on Renjun's. "Sorry..."

The hybrid sneaks his hands to Jeno's cheeks. "Hey, hey, you don't need to apologize for anything, okay?"

The black haired looks at him and he loves his smile. He loves it. He... loves... Renjun? He knows he likes him but love is different. It's more.

He doesn't want to overthink right now so he simply kisses Renjun again and both boys find fun pecking their lips, chuckling between the kissing time they're enjoying.

Suddenly, the door opens and a loud gasp is heard. They break the kiss to discover a surprised Haechan looking at them like a kid who has interrupted his parents in an intimate moment. "Sorry! I'll come back later! Don't worry! Sorry!"

Jeno blushes again and hides his face into the pillow. Renjun gets up with a chuckle and walks to the cute red haired. "What do you want?"

Haechan cleans his throat. "I can't sleep, I'm alone again because Mark is doing his night shift with Doyoung and neither Chenle nor Jisung want so I wanted to ask if some of you would like to sleep with me tonight" he pouts.

Jeno throws the pillow to his cute but annoying friend. "I don't want to, you are too clingy!"

"Don't seem like a problem with Renjun..." he murmurs, grabbing the pillow from the floor and throwing it back to the black haired. He turns to look at the blonde boy. "C'mon, you won't let me suffer alone!" he grabs his hands without changing the pout on his face. 

Renjun sighs; Jaemin is now in his bathroom turn so the only boy in the Unit that is free and ready for a cuddle's night with Haechan is him. He places one arm around the mutant's waist and makes him start walking out the room. He glimpses from the door at Jeno who is sitting on the bed and looking at him too. "See you tomorrow, okay?" the blonde smiles.

Jeno nods with a half-smile and sees how the two exit the bedroom. He lies down, hugging the pillow and looking at the ceiling, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. His eyelids are heavy and the moment his mind is starting to fall sleep, Jaemin comes in.

"Are you sleepy already?" the pinky asks in a soft voice, finding really cute the other like that.

"More or less" Jeno rubs his face and sits on his elbows. "Renjun is sleeping with Haechan tonight."

"I know" Jaemin simply says, sitting next to him.

The black haired's eyes finally open, suspicious. "Mmh? Did you talk with him before coming back from showering?"

"No" the invisible boy takes a deep breath and glimpses at Jeno with a little smile. "I made a deal with Haechan..." he whispers. "If he convinced Renjun to sleep with him tonight, I'll change schedules with Mark to spend more time with Haechan for a week."

Jeno sits up and glares at him. "Are you telling me that you have planned to be alone with me? That's no less than the cringiest thing you've ever done." 

Jaemin chuckles and shrugs. "You'd have never accepted to stay alone with me if I ever asked you anyways."

The black haired lowers his gaze, knowing that's true. He lies down on the bed again and looks at Jaemin from below. "Well, what's wrong."

"I've waited a few days but since any of you, lovebirds, dare to talk to me about... you know" he mimics the action of kissing and laughs when Jeno punches him with a pillow, cheeks completely red.

The pinky grabs the pillow and looks at the other with sincere eyes, showing him that he's not angry nor jealous. "You aren't mad, are you?" Jeno asks cautiously.

Jaemin lies down alongside him, faces just a couple of inches away. "Why should I be? You aren't mad neither because I kiss Renjun too. At least not anymore."

Jeno thinks about it. "Yeah... sorry for not letting you know sooner" he plays nervously with the sheets. "But how did you find out?"

The pinky smirks. "You aren't the best at discretion, I've caught you several times but I never said shit. You guys are cute."

Jeno groans and hides his embarrassed face into the pillows. Jaemin moves a hand into his black locks and brushes his velvety hair. For some reason, Jeno doesn't react violently nor annoyed like he used to with sudden touches; instead, he starts to feel calmer. He likes the way the other mutant treats him, Jaemin can be unbearably cocky sometimes but he always respect Jeno's space and he works really hard for the Tribe.

The black haired turns his face to look at Jaemin, cheeks still tinted. "I have no reasons to hate you. We just... love the same boy, and he loves us back. It's weird but that's it."

The pinky continues caressing his scalp with a soft smile. "I think having superpowers as we do is weirdest than love a cute boy."

That makes Jeno chuckle. He accommodates himself again on his back and Jaemin arm is now placed on his chest and his hand is caressing his face. And Jeno lets him. They stare at each other in comfortable silence for what seems a long time until the invisible boy decides to start over their conversation.

"You know I don't want to force anything between us, but... you and me... I mean, we are comrades that share the same lover so that effects our relationship in some way" he feels shy suddenly and is basically rambling.

Jeno's lips draw a smile. "Jaemin" he murmurs to stop the other's nonsense, making said boy look at him. "Let's just sleep" he covers them with the sheets and hugs Jaemin's waist with eyes already closed. "We'll figure it out..."

The pinky's heart is pounding but can't hide his happy grin. He hugs Jeno's shoulders and moves one leg on top of him too, enlacing each other. "We'll figure it out" he repeats, eyelids glimpsing the beautiful boy in front of him for the last time before going to dreamland.

·

Doyoung and Mark are drinking some veggie smoothy when the older watches something strange on the screen. He deposits his drink on the table and gets up with a frown.

Mark knows that isn't a good sign so he does the same and walks next to his leader, trying to guess what is so interesting.

A noisy alarm starts sounding and they see that is a videocall from both of the other tribes. Doyoung hisses a low fuck and Mark gulps. Bang Chan and Lisa appear in an hologram form, both looking upset.

"What's happening?" the younger of the four asks, not understanding anything.

The three adults share a look and talk at the same time.

"Someone is inside our zone."


	16. Together in a dangerous place

"Fucking bastards..."

Jaemin nudges Jeno to make him be quiet. "Shut that ugly mouth right now, they are going to listen to us!" he whispers.

The black haired frowns at him but turns his eyes quickly to the terrifying view they have in front of them; well, better said, below them because both boys are hiding atop a big tree in the forest that surrounds their Units.

Now, their area has been stormed by strangers. Humans.

And they don't look like wanting to have a friendly conversation as the weapons everyone down there is carrying, wearing black radiation suits.

"We are invisible, plus my mouth is not ugly!" Jeno complains in a huffy murmur, almost forgetting their mission about keeping a close eye on those people that have silently invaded their home some days ago. But they never walk nor run more than a couple of hundred metres per day and after that, they all simply let out the place for the next day. The forest is great large but they are doing their inspection very cautious and slow. Too much.

Are they searching for something... or someone?

The pinky glimpses at Jeno's eyes before lowering his sight to his lips, making the older go blushing so Jaemin smirks and holds the other's hand with more enthusiasm. "It's true, you have pretty lips and we are invisible but that last fact is thanks to me so don't try your luck or I'll leave your hand, these assholes will see you and probably shoot you with pleasure."

Jeno sighs dramatically and turns his eyes again to the enemies, seeing how some of then takes pictures and samples of the ground. "I'd have accepted to wear the new clothes with the energy the boys extract from you instead of letting you make me invisible."

The younger is about to answer with some sarcastic sentence but a familiar voice in their earphones interrupts their childish conversation. "Could you two stop flirting? This is serious, guys" Renjun chuckles through the microphone to communicate, he staying inside South Tribe with the other comrades.

'You can't say that!' Jeno complains again, this time to Renjun and tapping as her female comrade did, and feeling heat frying his cheeks. Jaemin knows the hybrid is right and that this is a serious situation but seeing the previously known cold and arrogant Jeno now like that, it makes his heart melts. 

'Yes he can, I was thinking the same' Yuqi taps her ear widget using the mutant's Morse code, hiding between the brushwood with Mina and her camouflage power at the other extreme of the forest.

Jaemin leans his head on Jeno's shoulder and gets comfortable in the big branch they are seated. The black haired freezes a little bit but rapidly relaxes and both males continue looking at the people down them.

The members of the three tribes that are indoors are focusing on the screen that's been recorded by the tiny cameras Jeno, Jaemin, Yuqi and Mina have in their chokers. The three leaders are especially tense; Doyoung, Lisa and Bang Chan realized some nights ago that someone is into their zone thanks to the temperature capsules Tribe West designed with Haechan's weather control. They can't place cameras around the forest because the devices would be intercepted easily so the capsules have an organic shape similar to a rock and allow the mutants (and Chenle and Jisung who are the only humans in the tribes, and then Renjun who is the only mixed among them all) to know when and locate where someone has entered their place.

"So they are like... recollecting?" Mark asks unsure, watching at the screen how the strangers take plants and soil.

"Yeah... apparently" Chuu answers with the same doubt, she and the other girls on Tribe East not understanding anything neither. 

"But what the hell are they recollecting? Just dirty mud and wither flowers? This is beyond ridiculous" Haechan is moving nervously from the screen Doyoung, Chenle and Jisung are in front of to the other where Renjun and Mark are looking at. He sighs exhausted and hugs the older's shoulders placing his chin upon his head; at this, Mark grabs the red haired's hands and snuggles into the unexpected embrace.

"They must be searching for specific components or else their behaviour is nonsense" Chan thinks out loud, and his members start to mumble all the possibilities that could mean.

Without a warning, Doyoung hits the desk and gets up in a jump. "Holy mother of fuck!"

Jisung is beside him so the poor boy gets scared. Chenle is the one next to him and chuckles, patting his orange hair to calm the younger again. "What it is?" the light haired asks, his hand now playing with some of Jisung's locks.

"Johnny told me something but for me at that moment looked like a stupid idea... now it has a lot of sense" the leader ruffles his bangs away from his forehead, agitated.

"And?" Renjun asks, getting up as well.

A lot of thoughts are swirling around Doyoung's mind right now, and none of them is close to a good one. He swings his eyes from the short blonde in front of him looking upset to the screens where the boys of West and the girls of East are waiting for his answer. He gulps soundly before speaking again. "He told me that he searched about the chemical elements in the human body and plants because as you all already know, mutants' composition is a mix between the nature of actual humans beings and the flora" everyone nod silently. "Well, the easiest way to attack the vegetation without damage humans is by the water and if the supposed deadline for the government's elections is in just one week... all of this isn't a coincidence."

"And we are still in the rain season" Lisa affirms, looking at her digital calendar at the end of March.

The group remain silent, each brain lost in a very wide space of possible solutions or terrible ends.

"Fuck" they all hear Jeno's voice through their earphones.

Suddenly, without enough time for the others to react, Yuqi and Mina materialise next to the girls thanks to the brunette's teleportation, and a few seconds after that a black and a pink head appear next to his members in South.

"They have finished" Jaemin announces, eyes containing the tears.

"What do you mean... finished?" Renjun asks, coming closer to the two new arrivals.

"The strangers have switched off their devices and said that's all, everything is ready" Mina informs, worried as well.

"Okay" Chan says, massaging his temples. "That simply means one thing."

Renjun sits again, feeling his entire body heavier as time passes by this new information that is a driller for him. "We need to be even more ready."

·

The reunion has ended because of is almost midnight, only the three leaders staying awake to prepare their next, biggest and possibly last mission. Forever.

Tonight, Mark is finally sleeping with Haechan after weeks of night schedules, and the older doesn't resist to the ginger's charms so they ended cuddling and talking until the sleepiness get both of them. The two youngest do the same in their bedroom with the difference that Jisung and Chenle normally sleep together, the taller deciding to ignore the shyness inside him.

In other room, three boys are about to sleep too. Jeno comes from their bathroom just freshly showered and takes a seat next to Jaemin in their bed. 

"You two looked cute this evening" Renjun comments with a half smile, changing his clothes into pyjamas in front of the other two, a simple action that at the beginning he was awkward to do but now he feels trust.

Jeno's cheeks turn red as surprised to none of them so he lies down on the bed and sighs dramatically with eyes closed. Jaemin laughs at his reaction and looks with heart eyes at the blonde. "We'd look cuter if you'd been with us."

The hybrid chuckles softly and sits in the empty space next to the invisible boy, looking at his deep gaze. "Two was the right number" he mutters, feeling a little flustered this being the first time the three talks about them, the three of them.

"But we are three" Jaemin answers, referring to a lot more than just the mission. And both Renjun and Jeno know that. 

"We should stop, this is getting intense" the black haired half jokes in a yawn, sitting up to look at the two.

"We are intense!" the pinky laughs again, now seeing how is Renjun the one who lies down with red cheeks. He tickles the shorter but the latter slaps his hands out of him, not really in the mood to play right now.

Jeno is quick to notice that. "Is there anything wrong?"

The taller boys, shoulders touching, stare at him with tired but anxious eyes to know what's inside Renjun head, and the blonde covers his face with a pillow. "Not wrong, just weird..."

"Jeno? Yeah he's pretty weir– AH!" Jaemin says and receives an elbow from the black haired.

"Talk to us" Jeno places the pillow away from Renjun's face and caresses his face, making the blonde to look at them again. Jaemin leans his head in the black haired's shoulder with a beautiful smile on his face waiting for whatever he wanted to say.

"It's just..." Renjun cleans his throat. "It's been years since I find myself happy on this day."

"This day?" Jaemin asks without understanding.

The blonde sits up with crossed legs and blushing cheeks. "It's my birthday."

The other two gasp soundly, the pinky almost hitting Jeno on the chin when he jolts in surprise. "Oh my gosh, for real?"

"Why would he lie to us, genius?" Jaemin says in a sarcastic tone.

The black haired sticks his tongue out and turns to the hybrid. "Happy birthday, Renjun" he smiles, goofy. "I– we, we didn't remember it but it's not because of you but well you know, all the pressure these days and–"

"Oh wow" the pinky whispers with a big grin in front of the view he's seeing at the moment: Renjun kissing Jeno to shut him.

It's a simple kiss, not longer than a couple of seconds but not for that less sweet, even if the shocked mutant responds a little late. Renjun separates slowly and looks into Jeno's eyes, giving him a short peck. Right after, he moves to face Jaemin and repeats the action, kissing him with the same tender and love.

And Jeno doesn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest, he has no reason to be mad because since this moment their relationship is being concluded; Renjun likes both of them equally, he's not playing. He loves the two mutants at the same time, there's no need to chose.

Once again, the hybrid separates and lies down with red cheeks and tearful eyes. "You make me happy, guys" he sniffles. "Sorry for the problems I've caused between you two, I didn't understand my own feelings but now I know what I want... even if it's weird. Damn it, why am I crying?"

"Hey, hey" Jaemin cuddles him, grabbing Jeno to hug the blonde too and support him right now. "Don't need to apologize for anything, baby" he kisses the tears away from his cheek. "And loving more than one person isn't weird, it's called polyamory or something like that."

The black haired smiles at the image and kisses Renjun in the other cheek. "As Jaemin and I said the other night, we'll figure this out. For now, we're happy if you are too."

Again, Jeno has made the invisible boy's heart melt, so he does doubtless the least expected at this present: he raises his body away from the blonde, gets closer to the other mutant and kisses his head. Jeno's eyes are wider than some minutes ago when Renjun kisses him without any warning neither; this is the first time he does something more than a simple hug or cuddling time. Obviously, Jaemin enjoys too much his red face and pecks him on the cheek before relocating himself next to Renjun.

"You two seriously are adorable" the shorter chuckles and gets comfy between their embrace.

Tonight, nobody can upset them.

Tonight, they are loved.


	17. The Day After

As the last uncertain rays of sun faded into obscurity, it's officially The Day After.

Yes, the day after the Elections and the big confrontation between the Government and the mutants. The thing here is that just the mutants know that, but this detail won't be an obstacle but more like a benefit; even though the three Tribes have planned every movement for them all and the rest of undercover mutants, hybrids and the few humans eager to help against the current conservative politicians around the country, it's always an asset to have a flexible approach thinking about the possible difficulties in the way to success in this final mission.

The Final Mission, if everything goes perfectly like a clockwork.

Today they need to relax and focus on tomorrow, and now it's dinner time but there's a guy without appetite, in the room out of the kitchen where everyone else is getting ready their meal.

"Jisung, what's wrong?" his short friend asks him with a bowl full of rice and fried veggies.

Said boy is seated searching in his mobile phone any radio station that could sound interesting. He chooses a jazz channel not because he likes it but because he remembers his parents playing that type of music when he was a child, and then looks up at Chenle with big eyes. "This is actually happening..."

"What do you mean?" the shorter sits next to him, taking a huge bite of his food.

Jisung moves to hug his legs and sets his chin there. "Our last mission."

Chenle gulps down and lets his bowl aside, staring at his friend's eyes. "Are you scared? Anxious? Worried?" he knows Jisung could look masculine and confident most of the time, but the reality is that the younger of the three Tribes overthinks and feels a lot, too much for being a computer expert.

The taller tilts his head without breaking their eye contact. "I fear more the other's life than mine, I mean at least we are humans but if the bad people catch them..."

"Eh, hey, stop right there!" Chenle places his hands upon his shoulders, making the younger to lower his legs and stay completely in front of each other. "Nothing bad's going to happen, okay? We all are ready for this, are you listening to me?" he claims with a frown.

Jisung sighs softly; he usually adores the older's positivity but in this right moment he doubts every single thing. "Something bad is going to happen, it's obvious, Chenle... this operation is the most dangerous one above all we have done until now."

The shorter human holds his face and talks in a tough tone, a gentle blush appearing in the taller's cheeks realizing how close their faces are. "If you don't worry about what will or won't happen in the future, your mind is going to block your capacity to focus in the task" then he gets his bowl with one hand and with his free one he grabs Jisung by the hoodie and makes him gets up, carrying both of them to the kitchen. "C'mon, you need vitamins to think properly, let's eat together!"

Mark, Haechan and Jaemin are there, finishing their dinner. The two youngest are preparing more rice when all of a sudden an odd noise from Jisung's radio interrupts the boys' break time.

"Good evening, listeners! We are highly sorry to interrupt your daily music moment but it is required to remind all of you that tomorrow is 1st April which means the most important elections of our current history are going to take place in a few hours. Don't fail to remember thinking seriously about your vote decision because our appreciated mother country risks all its national security and please not listen to progressive nor liberal opinions seeing unknown people living among all of us innocent inhabitants without national authorization. These are the news by now, we hope you look forward to the true information."

After those words, the five guys in the room keep silent not believing what they just have heard.

"Isn't it illegal to say such noticeable ideas the previous day of elections?" Haechan murmurs.

"It is, it is..." Mark forgets about his plate and goes to the mobile phone. "They basically have dropped in that mutants are going to destroy their fucking patriotic homeland when it's all the opposite."

"Which station is that bullshit?" Jaemin comes closer to him and both look at the name in the screen. "Jazzy Jazz 127 HD FM?" the pinky snorts. "They're losers even in the name."

Chenle takes his own phone from his pocket and searches it, gasping soundly and the rest of the boys pay attention to him. "The offices of that radio is the closest place to the Bussines Central Building, both are under the same label and have even collaborated in the past few years. There isn't any official name, just brands are made public."

"That damn building only gives us a headache: first the two secret labs and now a radio station" Jisung complains. "What are they trying to do apart from winning with the Government against us?"

"I think..." Jaemin starts speaking, their comrades turn their faces to look at him and wait with a frown for him to continue. "Or they try to distract us in the last minute publishing all of that, or we should divide the group even more now."

The others think about it a couple of seconds. "You're right" Mark says. "We need to talk with the others right now!"

And the five boys run to the Computer Room to start a hologram conversation with East and West, changing their positions and modifying their strategy the quickest as possible.

Time is against them.

·

Renjun, Jeno and Doyoung are outside the Unit, watching the sunset as the finish to smoke a shared non-nicotine cigarette after having dinner sooner than the others so they still didn't know about all the mess that is occuring inside. They are talking about everything and anything, changing the conversation from music to the mission, from sport to the mission, from their uncertain future and to the mission again.

There's a moment when the sun is peacefully coming away from their eyes and the three stay quiet. Jeno is in the middle, the blonde lies his head on his lover's shoulder and once he passes the cigarette to the black haired, they keep their hands intertwine, Jeno caressing the smaller hand with his thumb and a slight blush on his face due to this is the first time the two are being clingy in front of his brother. 

Well, at least that's what Jeno thinks because for Doyoung the situation is pretty obvious. Not simply for today's behaviour but for all the times he has caught Jeno kissing or cuddling the hybrid and immediately walks off the place not wanting to interrupt the precious sight to see his brother finally opening his heart to someone.

"So..." the older of the three starts talking again with a mischevious smirk on his face. "How long have you guys been dating?" Jeno chokes and throws the cigarette on the floor, turning his face violently to glares at his brother. Renjun moves away from the black haired and gets up straight in less than half second. Doyoung laughs seeing the two red faces looking at him right now. "C'mon, I hope you really didn't think I'm so dumb that I wasn't going to notice that you two..." he shuts himself because he has watched Renjun and the invisible boy together sometimes too so at this point he hesitates if it's okay to continue teasing the boys.

His brother understands his inner doubt. "Yeah, there's another one."

The sentence surprises Renjun for some reason. He glimpses at the younger mutant with a shy smile, loving how he has got along with this strange situation better than he thought he would. Before Doyoung could answer, the blonde explains too. "We are... three. Jaemin is in too."

The leader of the Tribe is a little shocked because his trio hypothesis is just confirmed, but he's open-minded. "Wow, I'm happy for you. You three truly deserve happiness if that's what you feel, even if there's a difficult time to be in love you guys just have done it!" he smiles.

Jeno looks down, dying of embarrassment, and the hybrid feels why: the super speed mutant accepts that statement, in love. Honestly, they still haven't said those explicit words although they feel it and it's not a secret anymore that the two mutants are crazy in love with Renjun and he is in love with them both.

The relationship between the pinky and the black haired is more difficult but just because Jeno is the most stubborn person in the whole galaxy, but they're cute anyway. And with the powerful Jaemin's charms, Renjun is sure that sooner or later Jeno will fall for him as well.

"Yep, I'm in love with two incredible boys" the blonde nods content, making the two brothers look at him.

Jeno faces him as if he was dreaming, not knowing exactly what to do, so Renjun simply chuckles and leans to pecks his lips. The younger groans and hides his heated face into the hybrid's neck who hugs him and kisses the top of his head softly. There, Jeno exhales and inhales a few times and mutters the hardest sentence has ever escapes from his mouth.

"I love you too."

Renjun's eyes fill up with happy tears and tights his embrace around the mutant's body, while Doyoung applauses the two like a proud father, making the two shy boys to break into a sincere laugh.

Everything seems fine. It feels right.

·

Yuqi is putting order all her makeup silently because she's nervous, she is and doesn't know why. Well, it's clear as day that the cause is tomorrow's mission. 

It's already late night, almost 12 AM but her head can't sleep a wink, she needs to rest for tomorrow early in the morning so the only thing she thinks to relax her stupid nerves is to clean all her cosmetics. She has her long hair tied in a high ponytail ready to organize, wearing one earphone just in case something happens and she could listen to it.

Excepting Mina who has the night shift and is talking with Mark and Hyunjin through the screen in their Computer Room, the rest of the members are sleeping, including their leader that is the one who needs to sleep the most.

She's in the dressing room with dim light switched on where all the members keep their clothes and valuable belongings and the only place in their Unit with enough chargers to use for all their electronic devices. Suddenly, a strong light and a vibration sound invade the room, making the focused girl to jolts and turns to see what it is.

A mobile phone. Not just that, Lisa's.

She takes off the earphones unsure what to do and slowly comes closer to the gadget. SPY the name says. 'So it's a saved number' Yuqi thinks, a little more relief. Her head is mixed with a lot of thoughts about if she should or not pick up the call but her curiosity ends with her hand grabbing the phone and answering in a quiet voice to avoid anyone to listen to her.

"Yeah?"

Low coughing is heard at the other end, a male voice cleaning his throat so Yuqi immediately thinks about Johnny, their human spy and Lisa's friend. No one to worry about.

"Hello, Lisa? Sorry I couldn't call you until now, I know it's super late."

She gasps and her nerves arise from the centre of her stomach. 

Everything stops for her.

No. Impossible.

She could recognize that voice anywhere. The girl takes air and places her free hand on her chest just to feel how fast her heart is pumping.

"Yukhei? Is that you?"

The guy's breath changes his rhythm as well, identifying the female now.

"Yes. I- It's me, Yuqi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as u guys can guess... the end of this story is coming closer and i don't know who's less ready if you as readers or me as the writer :( happy 2020 and see u in (more or less) a month when i finish my semester in February
> 
> love you so much and thanks for all your support!


	18. Disappeared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again cuties, how's life? i've been busy + writer block :( but now are u ready to read some action!?

"That's how it works and that's how we're going to do it, I don't want to hear a single complain" Doyoung claims through the earphones, cracking his fingers soundly to relief some accumulated stress. They are all connected to keep in touch through the mission.

"I can't believe this is our most serious mission and all I hear is babies reproaching their partners" Chan hisses, brushing his natural curly hair.

"I'm not complaining!" Haechan whimpers, getting a gentle push by his sister who is holding back a laugh.

"I'm not a baby!" Jeno grunts, the pinky haired boy next to him rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, we need to be focused right now!" Lisa whispers a shout, and everyone listens to her.

It's almost 6 AM and the members of the three tribes are ready for the Mission, they all subdivided in different groups in the three most significant places in the city: the Business Central Building, the radio station and the downtown. This last location just in case they do something out of the plans due to the fact that it's the most crowded place in the entire city. All this mess created to defeat the bad people, those mysterious enemies that are planning the end of the mutants. And luckily both buildings are very close in case they need to help each others.

The members on the outdoors are using Jaemin's invisibility with that energy delivery he gave thanks to Woojin and Chan days ago, and the rest are inside their corresponding tribes looking at the screens that control all the places they need to visit. Fortunately, you can still see other people if both of you are in an invisible state.

The main mission today is to stop the bad people from the inside instead of fight against them as they have always done before.

Hyunjin and Renjun are together walking towards the radio station and waiting until their leaders make a sign to break into the place, the shorter thinking about finding his mother and the taller the same with his little brother Jeongin... hoping they are still alive. Two teams, Jeno and Jaemin from one sideways, and also Haechan and Chuu in the other lateral, are going behind to protect them, guarding the building in the unfortunate possibility that someone could attack them all. That's why the black haired is a bit irritable because he wants to keep Renjun safe in first person, next to him to assure his life and not working tens of metres away from him even if he can perfectly run with his superspeed and get around in the short time of a second. But that's Jaemin task too, protect two boys, one of them his lover, and them calm another boy in love, Jeno.

Although the pink haired perfectly knows that Hyunjin is going to protect Renjun and Renjun, Hyunjin as well. They are all comrades and nobody will be let alone.

Otherwise, the three leaders are waiting patiently outside the BCB, this time another couple covering their backs outside to guard the giant place and inform Doyoung, Lisa and Chan about what is occurring around the location: Mark and Mina. And yeah, that's why Haechan is grumpy because he wants to stay with his best friend even if he already knows that he and the girl are not a thing anymore. Chuu has tried to keep his composure as the good older sister she is but honestly, she has never seen his brother like that. In love.

And in this precise moment being in love isn't of help.

"Mina is such a great professional, you don't need to worry about anything" she whispers, covering the microphone with his fingers, both siblings walking to the city centre.

Haechan pouts with a frown. "I trust her who I don't trust is he."

To this claim, the only answer Chuu thinks is to chuckle and ruffle his red hair. They continue walking and paying attention to their surround, glimpsing to every detail on the streets and all the people they see, simply workers going to the bus or train, and old people going for a walk with their pets.

"Okay guys, I see movement" Chenle says through the microphone and none of them misses that comment. "Those black vans are arriving again."

"But you have enough time to come into both buildings if you're fast" Jisung adds.

Yuqi and Yeeun are the only two that are coming and going from the tribes to the city thanks to the brunette's teleportation. The blonde is still a bit aloof with his friend since the Yukhei's incident weeks ago when everyone discovered that Yuqi was meeting a human without their permission. But the two girls have been always friends and good comrades so Yeeun just needs time to accept her apologies. Now even more than Yuqi has talked with his exboyfriend and knows that he's his new spy; too much information for her broken heart.

Both girls are on top of a skyline controlling the outskirts. "Be cautious, there are a lot more now" Yeeun says using the mic.

"How much is a lot more?" Jeno asks, seeing Renjun and Hyunjin in the distance, and noticing Jaemin upset next to him.

Yuqi sighs. "Like twice as much. Or more."

The rest of the members look at each other with upset eyes and some seconds of silence continue the moment.

"Then we can't allow losing any second" Doyoung utters with security in his voice. He gives a quick look at Chan and Lisa that nod at him. He glances at the BCB's front doors ready to use his mind control to make the guards inside open it.

"Let's go" Chan says, and everyone budges to their position.

In the other building, Chuu powers up her energy control to switch off the electricity to open the radio station's doors as well, so Renjun and Hyunjin are able to trespass it without any apparent problem. The important action here is more dangerous because they have never been inside the radio station, which signifies that the hackers in the Tribe didn't have enough time to connect the security cameras so that's why there are more people in the charge of this building than into the Bussines one.

"Renjun" suddenly Jeno's mouth talks without thinking and immediately regrets calling him because everyone else is also listening through the earphones. Jaemin stops his steps and looks at how the black haired's cheeks have turned darker.

"What?" the hybrid asks unsure, already inside the dim place and doesn't want to be distracted. Not even by Jeno.

"S-stay safe" the lover speaks softly, slapping his face for tripping over his own words. Jaemin smiles; even in a serious moment like right now, Jeno can't help but be cute instead of intimidating.

Renjun is surprised, overwhelmed and about to answer when Hyunjin grabs him by the arm, walking faster. "Could you let the gay drama for another moment? I've seen a light over there, c'mon."

Some laughs are heard and the blonde's face turns as darker as Jeno even if they aren't together.

"How there's light? My sister just turned off everything" Haechan says, clenching Chuu's sleeve and the girl frowning without understanding neither.

"Maybe is like the lab and the electricity there functions in a different service" Mark suggests.

"So... that simply means that they hide something" Chenle hisses, watching by his comrades' cameras how they are already inside the two shadowy buildings. Jisung shivers next to him.

The radio station is similar to the BCB: a colossal place where only metallic stairs and doors and a few neon emergency lights give the hint of colour and some columns to decorate the empty place. But Hyunjin is right when he said that there's something else, an intermittent spark at the end of the hall as if one bulb had blown but the last instant of energy didn't want to disappear yet. So both boys walk, shoulders touching, irregular breath and eyes glued to that light.

"Chan and Doyoung are going upstairs" Lisa's whisper is heard by the earphones. "I'm going ahead of the subterranean lab."

"Take care" Chan tells her. "It's very weird that everything is silent."

"We have to stay positive, it's still pretty soon for any worker to come here" Doyoung suggests, and the West's leader shrugs unsure while taking step after step in the stairs straight to the offices and upper lab.

"How's the outside?" Jisung asks, watching that the area their comrades are in seems calm at the moment through the screens.

"Some people on the vans have got off and they're like setting up a stand in the middle of the plaza" Yeeun informs, following the black vans with his friend's teleportation as they move into the city. "Surely for the election campaign."

"Some other vehicles have continued their way and I think they're going to your place" Yuqi murmurs.

"There's still no one suspicious" Mina says, Mark and her walking around the BCB.

"Same over here" Jaemin says, keeping an eye on his surround and a nervous Jeno next to him. Being honest, he's nervous as well but he wants to demonstrate the black haired that he can beat any situation.

Some minutes pass, Renjun and Hyunjin are just a couple of metres away from the metallic door where the light comes behind when the hybrid suddenly grunts and shudders.

"What's wrong?" the taller asks, twirling to attend him. The blonde press his hands on his temples and bends down to the floor. "Renjun, what are you doing? Look at me, talk to me" Hyunjin is getting scared for this abrupt change.

"My head hurts..." the hybrid's words are barely audible. "It hurts as if something wanted to perforate it."

"What" Jeno and Jaemin say at the same time, hearing the other two boys conversation through the earphones and unconsciously turning to look at the building, ready to run.

"Guys relax, I'm sure this has an explanation, don't leave your position!" Hyunjin whispers, a little tired of their feelings above the logical thinking they normally have, specially Jeno.

"We are here to help" the black haired complains, heart pounding on his chest. Jaemin holds his hand and both are feeling very powerless at the moment.

The two boys outside and Hyunjin start quarrelling but Renjun sits on the floor breathing with difficulty with hands massaging his head. He's completely disoriented, almost doesn't listen to the others, and he doesn't know why.

Why...

RENJUN

The boy lifts up his head violently.

That voice.

No. It's impossible.

He gets up slowly looking around but no one apart from Hyunjin is there with him. "What's happening?" the tall boy is again focused on him.

Renjun blinks as if he had just woke up from a nightmare. "I d-don't... I don't know."

SON

Again. No, it can't be real.

He asks at the air, eyes full of tears at this point. "Mum?"

Hyunjin opens wide his eyes in disbelieve and looks the hall without seeing anyone else. By the earphones, the others talk and ask but outside the radio station two boys in love gulp soundly in silence. Did Renjun say... mum? The same woman Jaemin found out months ago on the lab? How? And why now?

IT'S ME, BABY. SAVE ME 

"Where are you?" he asks with a knot on his throat, moving his eyes everywhere.

"This is so weird..." Hyunjin murmurs, and that's the final sign for Jeno to pull Jaemin and use his superspeed to run inside the building.

The pinky doesn't have time to make any objection because in a blink they're in the middle of the big hall, searching for their lover. They see him some metres away completely disoriented and the taller boy next to him trying to calm him without any result.

"Renjun!" Jeno screams, away from the pinky and running to see the blonde.

It's curious how they exchange personalities under pressure: Jaemin, the passional one, becomes logical. And Jeno, the threatening one, turns oversensitive. So Jaemin stays there, he doesn't move because he doesn't like this situation, he doesn't trust anything that's happening: the unexplored place, dark except for one light behind a door and this sudden voice that just Renjun can hear. He looks at how Jeno shakes the hybrid by the shoulders, the shorter rambling and mixing conversations, and Hyunjin talking with the others using the microphone.

"She's here, she's talking to me" Renjun outcries. "She wants to see me, Jeno let me go with her, she needs me!" he tries to escape from the mutant at the verge of crying.

"Jeno for fuck's sake, control your boyfriend" Lisa grumbles, arriving at the sub lab.

"Renjun please calm down, are you sure it's your mum?" he asks, tightening his hold. Jaemin comes closer with a frown.

"Of course! I would never forget her voice! Let me go!" Renjun raises his tone, mad. He's completely absorbed and doesn't understand anything, just the voice of her mum after years.

"We are going to break into the upper lab. How are you, Lisa?" Doyoung talks under his breath.

I'M HERE

The female voice moves from one side to the other extreme of the room, making Renjun go insane.

He needs to act.

"We are together in this and we're not going–" Jaemin interferes but is interrupted by the blonde.

"If you really loved me, you would trust me enough to let me go right now!" the hybrid isn't talking in his right mind, but those words have stuck into the mutants' heart; they can't deny that sentence hurts. Literally.

The black haired stares at the tearful boy in front of him and gradually release his grip, allowing the blonde to move away. Jeno feels the invisible boy's hand on his shoulder and sneaks it to grab his. Renjun shakes his head and without looking back at the two boys, he starts running to the metallic door.

Hyunjin was talking with the others all this time so he doesn't understand why the two mutants have let him free, but he screams "Hey wait!" and immediately follows the hybrid.

"I don't like any of this" Lisa says suddenly. She has broken the lab's door with her superstrength and is already inside; as she guessed, the lights are on. And if nobody is supposed to be there...

"Me neither" Jisung agrees, switching from one screen to another. "Everything looks so calm, too much. As if they knew something and don't want to make a scene."

Jaemin agrees in silence and squeezes Jeno's hand, and the later responds holding tighter. It's not that they can do something because Hyunjin and Renjun are the two sent to that place, not them; but they are here for supplying protection.

The two mutants are about to exit the place when they perceive a tiny movement that continued with a slight noise. At first, they thought it was their comrades opening the door but their fears are confirmed by a scream at the earphones.

"Shit you off, bastards!" Lisa curses, running to the door at the end of the lab because she has heard voices.

There, she sees a few evil scientists carrying one of those vertical baths with a mutant inside. An experiment. And this time, it's not Renjun's mother.

"Holly fuck..." Chenle gasps, covering his mouth while watching the terrible image in the girl's camera.

"Jeongin?" Jisung whispers hesitantly.

"Who!?" Hyunjin's heart pumps hard, once second before Renjun opens the metallic door in the radio station.

"It's here! Catch her!" one woman shouts and two men rush off.

"How can they see her?" Chan asks, on the other lab of the BCB, but this one empty. He and Doyoung are already going to rescue their friend in danger.

"They're all wearing weird sunglasses" she runs between the tables in the room.

"Infrared glasses, doll" a third man answer, catching her from the back.

"Fuck you!" she grunts, completely unaware.

In the radio station, listening to all the mess on the other building, Jeno and Jaemin turn quickly to see from the distance Renjun and Hyunjin inside the illuminated room and the rest happens even quicker.

A huge explosion of light. No sound, no damage, just an intense ray of light that blind all of them. The black haired grabs the pinky and runs fumbling until they're behind one of the columns in the entrance.

Jaemin hugs the other, shaking and scared. "What the hell was that?" his voice is barely audible. Jeno embraces him tightly as well, not knowing what to say. Nothing is being heard but they can't see anything neither, they once again feel extremely powerless in this mission.

Doyoung and Chan finally arrive at the subterranean lab, the older using his mind control to push apart the guards coming from them and the younger simply punching them on the face for fun, because they deserve it.

"Guys don't- I don't need y-your help" Lisa sharply says, trying to breathe around the hands of that monstrous humans holding her prisoner.

Or that's they think. Yeah, those terrible people could know that they're mutants but they don't know what their powers are.

"Oh, so you've brought friends? We're going to pass a good time" one of the muscular and ugly men snorts, walking to the two boys, confident that nothing's going to happen.

What a fool. When he's just a couple of metres away, the two boys look briefly at Lisa who smirks. That's the sign, she's ready to attack.

Doyoung raises his hand and talks with a deep voice. "Screw you."

The man looks at him confused for just one second because the next one his feet can't move. He can't move at all, actually, and Chan can't help but go and hit him as if he was a boxing sack. In another situation, Doyoung would stop his impulsive friend, but not now. Now every bit of violence it's okay.

The man starts complaining and screaming so one of the other men let Lisa's side to help him, and that's when the girl uses his superstrength: she forces the man that is holding her from the back to twists in surprise and sets herself free with a kick on his stomach, throwing him away on the lab's floor.

The other man that's still in all his composture turns to see what's happening, Chan hits him just to distract him one second before Lisa comes and throws him as away too. The man paralyzed by Doyoung looks at everything around him with real horror in his eyes. And the older lets him away from his power just a moment before Lisa does her thing: punching him and throwing him away, leaving the three bullies spread out on the floor.

They're alive but unconscious. Here you have the consequences of messing with the mutants; you'll get into big trouble.

The three friends take some air until the girl talks. "They've gone from the other door. Jeongin was with them."

Chan's eyes are watery. "It was him for real?" he doesn't remember how many years has been without the younger, Hyunjin's little brother. He can't even believe he's still alive.

"Yes, fuck, yes I'm pretty sure, we can't let them escape" she brushes his curly hair to comfort him in this difficult time, Doyoung patting his back as well. Then, the three goes to that door.

"Guys what's going on? The workers are arriving" Mark informs from the outside.

"Jeno? Jaemin? We need to move" Haechan says, not listening a thing from the two inside the radio station.

Said boys are hugged as if their life depends on that; honestly right now, it seems like it. They're not behind the column because of the strong light has disappeared. But that's not the only thing vanished.

There's no Hyunjin there. Renjun isn't in the room anymore. The two boys just dropped out of their sight after the blinding light.

Jaemin lays his head on Jeno's shoulder and the black haired hold him closer if it's possible; they're not normally like this, but they're sharing physically their mutual feelings. Confusion? Fear? Anxiety? They simply need each other.

"Change of planes" Jeno whispers at the mic.

"What do you mean?" his brother asks, already outside the BCB.

"Jaemin and I" his voice shakes and the pinky looks up, trying to encourage his words with his soft eyes. "We are going to find Renjun."


	19. Save You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi my precious babies🥺💕sorry for being late uploading this part, as u know life is a mess lately.
> 
> i hope everyone is safe and healthy. if someone needs to talk, here i am!🌹🌻

Two boys are walking through the dark radio station's corridors with irregular steps, unsteady breathing and anxious hearts, hand in hand as if there's no tomorrow; honestly, for them it feels like that kind of extreme situation.

They aren't using Jaemin's invisibility anymore because they already know that bad people have special glasses and even the security cameras are prepared with infrared vision above all else.

"I still don't comprehend why you don't let use my ability" Jeno grumbles, referring to his superspeed. "We could have found Renjun by now!"

Jaemin rolls his eyes for the nth time today. "Because we need to be cautious, that people are fucking crazy and we can't allow ourselves to screw this mission more than it already is" he squeezes the other's hand as a signal to calm down. "What's more, you need to save your energy."

It's a weird sensation, Jeno thinks, that he actually feels more relaxed, almost as relaxed as how he feels when he's with Renjun. But that's not really the thing that removes his insides but the fact that it feels natural.

After weeks and months of disliking each other... they are finally getting along in such a precious way: saving his lover and the world.

If you ask Jaemin, he likes this sensation; not the someone could murder us in any moment inside this crazy place part but the fact that he and the other mutant are finally friends. He's very happy, too much indeed.

He really likes it. Him. What?

The three leaders, Lisa, Doyoung and Chan, are still inside the BCB in charge of finding Renjun's mum and Jeongin, meanwhile the rest of their comrades are fulfilling their individual missions without any apparent problem.

The radio station that the two mutants are strolling here and there, not knowing where they should or shouldn't enter actually, it's in complete silence and in shadows, just a few emergency lights illuminating their path.

"What if we don't find him... and Hyunjin? What if we are already too late?" Jeno's voice is shaky and unsure.

The pinky completely halts and stares into his eyes. "What the heck are you saying?"

"Don't look at me like that, you know it's a possibility" Jeno groans, letting his hand go to rub his neck, nervous, and continues walking.

"You can't be serious!" Jaemin whispers a shout and grabs the other's shoulders to make him look at him; he's not letting him go that easily. "We have achieved a lot of things til this moment, this is just a tiny obstacle, are you really going to give up now? You? Big and awesome Lee Jeno?"

Said boy chuckles but his upset face doesn't change, looking down. "I'm not that awesome if I lost Renjun in front of my eyes, am I?"

Jaemin's eyes widen in surprise for those words, his arms around Jeno's neck, getting closer so they can whisper better. "Do you love him that much?"

"Yes" the black haired answers immediately and raises his head to stare at his glossy eyes, realizing how short is the distance between the two; but for some reason, he doesn't mind. "Don't you love him too?"

"Of course I do" Jaemin smiles, making the corners of Jeno's mouth goes up as well. "But I... I..." he clears his throat. "If we're together in this chaos, I can't let you think it's all your fault because it's not, okay?" he ruffes the other's black hair and grabs his hand again to keep on their way across the dark hall.

They are now close to the end of it, the elevator is seen not so far away.

Jeno walks beside him and the two stay in silence for a few minutes until the older can't help himself for asking. "What were you going to say before?"

The pinky glimpses at him but doesn't stop walking and looking around them, not really paying attention to him. "What do you mean?"

Jeno hesitates, lowering his voice when he speaks again. "You said that love Renjun too, then started to stutter but you changed the topic."

Jaemin gulps soundly, making the black haired frowns. "So you noticed it."

"Obviously I did" this time is Jeno the one who stops and grabs the younger's chin with his free hand to make him look at his eyes. "Is there anything wrong?"

They have changed roles so quickly, the pink haired now nervous about his answer. It's not like he feels bad for what he's starting to feel about Jeno, well better said the feelings he's starting to realize as something inevitable that was going to happen sooner or later, but he knows this is not the best moment to confess any shit that not even his own heart knows what it is!

Plus, Jeno is not exactly the type of person that takes things gently at first so the sudden information could fuck up their mission and that's the last thing Jaemin wants.

"Everything is ok, don't worry" he forces himself to draw a smile and mentally sighs in relief when sees Jeno's smiling again. "C'mon, we've been chitchatting enough!" and without thinking, he leans and pecks his cheek.

Surprisingly for both of them, Jeno let it happen without complaining, so they continue their investigation in that sick place with a cute blush in their faces, hand in hand.

It's not the first time Jaemin do that but it's the first time they do it alone, without Renjun in the middle, what makes the awkward situation even more intimate with a simple action.

And honestly, there's any reason why their hands are intertwined, it's just a protective reflex, a sign that they're not alone. They are together indeed, in more ways the two boys could think.

They're about to go up to the first floor when a sudden whimper is listened by their earphones. 

"H-hi?"

Both boys freeze because it's been hours without any sound. And they perfectly know that voice.

"Guys?"

"Renjun?" both boys say synchronicity.

"Gosh" the hybrid's voice is not over a shaking breath. "I can't believe I can hear you again."

"Where are you?" Jeno asks, nervously letting his hand go from the pinky.

"It's a small room, I barely have enough oxygen here, I just see wires and tools, they grasped us inside and started to ask us so many things, Hyunjin fought with them and could escape but now I don't know–" 

"Renjun! Calm down, please" Jaemin cuts him off. "Do you remember how do you end up there?"

The blonde thinks some seconds. "I'd bet it's in the ground floor" he mutters. "When they left the room I heard the front door and sound coming from the street."

The two mutants look at each other, Jaemin nods without saying anything and Jeno understands him. The older grabs the pinky and, finally, uses his superspeed to go to the room they both think his lover is hidden: inside the storage.

In a blink of an eye, they are in front of a metallic door (just as all the rest of gates in that cold place), close to the exit, with a sign that says AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

"Fuck it" obviously, that's what Jeno says and starts forcing the doorknob open the quickest he can while Jaemin hits it until the hinges are broken. 

The two mutants run inside out of breathing to find what they hoped to see: Renjun. His lover is sitting on the floor, hugging his legs, tears coming down for his cheeks after finally see them. He also has some scratches and cuts on his skin but he's safe and sound after all. 

The hybrid is about to get up but Jaemin jumps to snuggle him. "Are you ok?" he rocks Renjun between his arms, feeling the other's hands in his nape.

"Now I surely am" his mouth draws a tiny smile, sniffling his nose to stop himself for crying more and placing his chain on the pink haired's shoulder.

Jeno approaches to them, calmer now that he's seeing him after so many hours without any sign of his life, but still nervous about the fact that they are inside that terrible building yet. Even so, he squats while staring fondly at Renjun and the blonde looking at him as well. 

"Hi again" Jeno says to the shorter and puts a hand on the pinky's back who's still hugging Renjun more than happy.

Renjun's eyes are open wide and shinning. He leans forward and pecks Jeno's lips just for a second as a greeting but the black haired quickly holds his face and kiss him for real, feeling relief all over his body doing it.

But even quicker is Jaemin who separates to see the two making out in front of him. "Hey I want that too! I also have saved you!" he complains, asking for the attention he deserves.

Renjun disconnects, letting a blush on Jeno's face. "Obviously you'd say that" the blonde giggles before leaning to kiss his other man.

They kiss slowly, taking the time they probably don't have. And Jeno knows it, he knows the three of them are consuming seconds of life but he's honestly so fed up with that feeling of being at his limit every single second. He just wants a normal life and he's willing to fight against anyone to achieve it.

When the two separate, the trio get up, use again the invisibility and, hand in hand with Renjun in between, they walk to the front door. They need to go with the others as soon as possible.

"I heard them saying something important... at least I think it is" the blonde whispers, leaving the radio station on their backs. The two mutants on each of his side turn to look at him, encouraging his little speech. "They said something about an energy condenser, I think it's related to what Johnny told us about the toxic rain they wanted to create to destroy... us."

Jaemin sighs heavily. "Where's that?"

"By what I understood, it's subterranean."

"Here? In Seoul?" Jeno asks, confused.

Renjun nods slowly. "Under the BCB's lab."

"That's already subterranean" Jeno mumbles.

"I know" The hybrid gulps. "I know."

The three exchange a worried glance without stopping their way to the BCB.


	20. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone is safe during quarantine <3  
> be ready for a soft chapter and (spoiler alert) NOMIN!!!

They have changed partners in the last moment to make more useful teams.

Now Chuu is with Mina and Hyunjin around the building to help their comrades inside, and Haechan is with Mark farther away to take care of the place especially with the red haired's power of controlling the weather because, as long as they all know, the bad people in the government want to create a dangerous rain that could kill mutants.

Yeeun and Yuqi are still together going back and forth in the city to warn the rest of their friends if something happens.

Jisung and Chenle, the only two humans, are hidden in their Unit, watching everything by the screens to warn the others just in case they see something weird on the security cameras.

The trio (formed by Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin) is running to where the leaders of the tribes are: inside the BCB willing to save Jeongin and Renjun's mother.

And they all keep in touch by their mics, informing what's the situation in every minute.

Anyways, besides all these under control chaos and tension, there's a boy with his head on the clouds... or well, better said, with his heart on the clouds.

"Mark" Haechan murmurs, making the other male turn his head and look into his glossy eyes. "Do you think we are going to survive?"

The older opens his eyes, surprised. "Where's your positivity?"

The red haired mutant pouts, looking at his fingers and playing with them nervously. "It's not that... but imagine if something happens and we can't see each other anymore."

Mark frowns, not getting what does he mean. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden? We are going to win and then–"

But Haechan cuts his words. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Mark! Even if we win, do you really think our lives will be easy?" he raises his head and looks one more time into the older's big eyes full of curiosity. "The moment the three tribes disappear after this mission, everyone has to find a way to be in society again."

Mark blinks, connecting ideas on his concerned mind. "I will never forget you, if that's what you are thinking."

The younger blushes and looks away again, feeling that tears could come down if he keeps eye contact. "Me neither."

"So?" Mark places a hand in his friend's chin to lift his head. "Tell me what's on your mind, Haechan, I know you have more inside than what you just said."

And he's right. Obviously, Mark is right because he knows him as if they were brothers. But Haechan doesn't want them to be brothers, he can't take his feelings any longer even if they are now in the most important mission. Maybe he's being selfish and childish but right now he doesn't give a damn about the rest of the world.

A lonely tear falls down for his cheek and some more comes after that. Mark panics, quickly drying Haechan's face with his fingers. "No, no, babe, don't worr–"

And there you go. Something soft on top of Mark's mouth interrupts his sentence, a pair of lips.

Haechan doesn't really move and neither does Mark, they simply stay there for a few seconds, a moment that feels infinite, until the tanned moves away slowly.

Both have a dark blush over their faces but for very different reasons: the younger has finally broken his shyness about his best friend being his crush, and the older realizing that he has liked the kiss. Actually, skinship between the two has always been normal. They cuddle, they joke around, they comfort each other, half of the other members know that Haechan likes Mark and he perfectly knows that the younger is gay but the two boys never talked about that. It just turns natural.

"What was that?" Mark asks even if he suspects the answer.

Haechan chuckles, insecurity already gone and finding the situation funny. "My first kiss."

"Oh my god" a female voice suddenly says by their earphones. "That's my baby!"

The red haired recognizes his sister's voice and groans annoyed. "Chuu! What the heck are you doing listening to us!?"

"Actually, everyone is listening to you guys" Jaemin joins the conversation. "You didn't turn off your mics."

Some laughs are heard, followed by his leader's voice. "Okay kids, we are loving your intimate moment but we need you to concentrate right now, okay?" Doyoung says.

"Y-yeah, sorry" Marks ruffles his hair, anxious. Haechan notices it and he simply holds his hand, and that's how the two remain the rest of the time, hand in hand with a comfortable silence, ready to fight in any given moment when their friends need help.

"We are inside" Jeno says, he, Renjun and Jaemin finally inside the BCB, on the way to the.

The mutants start to talk but, thanks to Haechan's previous action, another boy overthinks about the same topic.

Well, not about Mark but about his best friend Chenle. Jisung switches off his mic and cleans his throat. The shorter one doesn't even realize that the other boy has turned to face him because he's too focused on watching over the cameras.

"What do you think?" the younger says out loud without thinking.

Chenle hums in response, turning off his mic to don't disturb his comrades while talking. "About what?"

"Mark and Haechan" but that's now what Jisung actually means.

His friend thinks. "I don't know, they're cute and they should be together while ago" he laughs, completely oblivious to the younger's feelings; not like the poor Jisung understand himself.

"Yeah but... will you forget about me after all of this end?" the words leave his mouth in an unsure whisper.

Chenle stares at him with incredulous eyes, making Jisung nervous. "Do you think I would ever forget about us? Not even if I wanted too" and he happily ruffles his friend's hair. "I'm not letting you forget me neither!"

The taller smiles back, noticing how he said us and clinging in that tiny hope to talk about this in the future, in a near one. "I won't, I swear."

And the two return to their comrades conversation which is quite interesting at the moment.

"But Jeno–"

"No buts, Renjun, you are not coming with us and that's it" the black haired raises his voice.

"Nothing bad is going to happen!" the hybrid almost shouts, getting stressed.

"Shut up!" the pinky boy says, trying to stop the two lovers arguing and basically losing time to take action. "We just want to protect you, okay? They almost kill you before and you need to find your mother first" he leans and peck Renjun's lips. "Doyoung, Chan and Lisa are waiting for you so c'mon, we need to work separated."

"Promise me that I'll see you two in a few hours" he frowns, not liking this but knowing that they are right.

"We promise" Jeno says, calm now. The blonde sighs and stands on tiptoes before pecking his lips as well, so he can finally go with the taste of his two lovers on his mouth.

Jaemin then climbs up to Jeno's back and the latter uses his superspeed to run to the subterranean basement where they need to disconnect the machine that is prepared to kill the mutants.

They are so close, so close to end this nightmare and start living a normal life, without hiding, without escaping from no one, without feeling guilty for being different.

The two mutants are in front of the big metallic door in less than a minute. Everything around them is silent and the only illumination they have is the emergency lights. They need to wait until Renjun reaches the leaders so Chuu will use her energy control to unlock the electronic doors from the outside.

Jaemin comes down from the other's back but lets his arms laced around Jeno's shoulders and stays in front of him, so the pinky is staring at Jeno's eyes with his hands on the black haired nape.

"What?" Jeno asks, not completely disliking the short distance that separates both of their faces.

"Nothing, you're handsome" the other chuckles.

Jeno pushes him away and the younger lets out a loud laugh, turning off his mic and coming closer again to switch off Jeno's mic as well. Before the black haired could complain, Jaemin explains. "I just want to talk in private with you."

Jeno rolls his eyes. "Right now? Seriously? First Haechan and now you? Don't you guys realize that this is imp–"

"Why do you never kiss me?" he blurts out with a smile, knowing that his friend is going to lose his mind hearing that.

And yes, Jeno chokes in his own saliva and tries to walks away; however, Jaemin holds his hand, forcing him to stay by his side. "C'mon Jaemin, let it be, we can talk later" he mumbles, knowing that his friend is not going to give up that easily.

"But I don't want later, and I don't want to talk with you actually" he says looking at Jeno's lips who smiles awkwardly.

"I-I know, but we can't–"

"Forgot what we can't do and focus on what we could be doing" he tangles his arms once again around Jeno's neck, holding him closer in a tender way.

"What are you now, a philosopher?"

"If you want me to be that then I will" he quickly pecks the other's cheek and both keep intense eye contact for a few seconds, turning Jaemin into his serious mode. "I like you, Jeno. I like you for real and I like you a lot."

The older's cheeks and ears are on fire, blushing hard after those words. Not like he hadn't noticed it before, the pinky is very transparent with his feelings but he didn't expect this moment to be now.

"It's okay..." his brain isn't working properly. What does Jaemin want him to answer to such sudden confession? But for some reason, his hands move to the pink haired's waist, like a reflex action of acceptance.

A little disappointment is noticed in the younger's sparkly eyes. "Just okay?"

Jeno sighs, feeling that he doesn't have a way out to this conversation, so an idea comes up into his dazed mind to try to express his emotions without using his worst enemy: words. "Do you remember our code? The mutant's Morse code."

Jaemin frowns without understanding. "Yeah, why?"

The black haired takes a deep breath before leaning forward slowly, hands up to Jaemin's cheeks and, once again in that day, another first kiss occurs between two friends.

But this one is different.

Jeno kisses Jaemin once, twice, a third meet of lips, briefly, deeply, a short kiss again, and a longer touch one more time. A little pause, their heavy breaths the only sound in that dark place and both lips join again in such an unusual way of kissing.

Is a long sentence that Jeno is formulating and the pinky is trying to translate those touches into actual words but he gets distracted with the feeling he had dreamed so much. He gets why Renjun likes to kiss him so much because Jeno's lips are a mix between shyness and confidence as if he really could read his mind through the kisses they are sharing. Jaemin closes the tiny gap that both bodies still had, his fingers tangled into the black hair.

It doesn't feel like an innocent kiss even if they are just with their lips, it feels really mature, a pure bomb of feelings.

After some more short-long-short-pause-kisses, Jeno's lips leave Jaemin's but he doesn't really move away, foreheads together, waiting for a response. The pinky's mind is on another dimension, trying to remember what Jeno just told him and his heart bumps strong inside his chest.

"I will learn to love you well, too" he whispers his answers, repeating Jeno's words out loud. He raises his head to look at the other boy with a smirk. "Who would think that you're so romantic?"

Jeno chuckles and pushes him away playfully, liking this moment, liking it so much having in mind how difficult is for him to express his own feelings and to accept anyone's feelings as well.

Then, a soft sound is audible and they both turn their heads to the metallic door, hearing Chuu by the earphones saying that they can enter now without problems.

Like that, the pinky climbs again up Jeno's back, giving him a quick smooch in the scalp to cheering up the mission. The superspeed mutant runs and runs to the end of that dark basement, and when a sudden bright light is in front of them, the black haired connects again his mic.

"We are here."

"What is that?" Jaemin asks, already on the floor next to him.

Jeno holds his hand. "That's what we need to discover."


End file.
